UPDATED: MARCH 2026
An honest review from a real customer. Octopus Energy is the UK’s highest-rated supplier — but is it the right choice for you in 2026?
Switch & Get £50 Free Credit →Yes — and it’s not particularly close. Octopus Energy is the UK’s highest-rated energy supplier by almost every measure: customer satisfaction, awards, and pricing. It has been named Which? Best Buy seven times since 2018, holds a Trustpilot Excellent 4.8★ rating from over 500,000 reviews, and has never charged above the Ofgem price cap since launch.
On top of that, it leads the UK market in smart tariffs — particularly for EV drivers, heat pump owners, and solar households. If you fall into any of those categories, Octopus isn’t just a good choice — it’s arguably the only choice worth considering.
The one caveat: if you’re on a fixed-rate deal elsewhere that’s below the April 2026 price cap (£1,641/yr), check the maths before switching. But for most people on standard variable tariffs, switching to Octopus is straightforward.
Use my Octopus Energy referral code when you switch and you’ll also get £50 credit added to your account after your first Direct Debit.
Switch to Octopus – Get £50 Free Credit →Octopus Energy holds a Trustpilot Excellent rating of 4.8★ from more than 500,000 verified reviews — making it one of the highest-rated energy companies on the platform in the UK.
Common themes in positive reviews include fast and helpful customer service, smooth switching experiences, accurate bills, and responsive handling of smart meter issues. Negative reviews tend to focus on billing disputes and the occasional smart meter installation delay — problems that are not unique to Octopus and largely in line with industry-wide challenges.
By comparison, traditional big-six suppliers typically score between 1.5★ and 3★ on Trustpilot. Octopus’s score is exceptional for any business, let alone an energy supplier.
Octopus Energy has been named Which? Best Buy energy supplier in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025 — seven times in total (excluding 2022, when Which? paused its energy supplier awards during the market crisis).
Which? awards are based on customer satisfaction surveys covering value for money, customer service, billing accuracy, and complaints handling. Winning seven times is unprecedented for an energy supplier and reflects consistently high customer satisfaction since Octopus launched.
Octopus Energy has a stated policy of pricing its standard variable tariff — Flexible Octopus — at or below the Ofgem price cap. According to Octopus, it has never charged the full cap rate since it launched.
From 1 April 2026, the Ofgem price cap is set at £1,641 per year for a typical dual-fuel household paying by Direct Debit — around 7% (£117) lower than the previous quarter. This drop is partly due to lower wholesale energy prices and the Government removing roughly £130 of policy costs from bills.
For customers on Flexible Octopus, the new lower rates apply automatically from 1 April. No action needed.
This is where Octopus truly separates itself from every other UK energy supplier. Its range of smart tariffs is unmatched:
All smart tariffs are available to new customers after switching via the referral link. If you have an EV, heat pump, or solar panels, it’s worth getting on the right tariff straight away.
Octopus Energy is consistently ranked among the best for customer service in the UK energy market. Its Trustpilot score of 4.8★ reflects this, as do its seven Which? Best Buy awards.
Octopus operates a “team” model where customers are assigned to a small group of agents rather than a large call centre. This means you’re more likely to speak to someone who knows your account history when you get in touch.
Contact options include email (hello@octopus.energy), phone (0808 164 1088, free from most UK numbers), and an in-app messaging feature. Response times are generally fast compared to industry averages.
No energy supplier is perfect, and Octopus has its share of complaints. The most common issues reported by customers include:
These complaints are broadly in line with (or better than) what you’d expect from any large energy supplier. They don’t change the overall picture: Octopus remains the UK’s best-rated supplier.
For most customers in 2026, Octopus Energy is the better choice. Here’s a quick comparison:
| Factor | Octopus Energy | British Gas |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot rating | 4.8★ Excellent | Lower |
| Which? Best Buy | 7 times (2018–2025) | Not awarded |
| Renewable electricity | 100% as standard | Optional add-on |
| Smart tariffs | Extensive range | Limited |
| EV tariff | 8p/kWh (Intelligent Go) | No comparable tariff |
| Pricing vs cap | Always at/below cap | Varies |
| Referral bonus | £50 each | None |
British Gas has a larger customer base and a long heritage, but on the metrics that matter to most customers — price, service, and smart tariffs — Octopus wins clearly in 2026.
You must click — not type — to trigger the £50 referral credit for both of us.
Takes around five minutes online. No interruption to your supply. Octopus handles everything with your old supplier.
Credit appears approximately two to four weeks after your first payment.
Switch to Octopus – Get £50 Free Credit →
Yes. Octopus Energy holds a Trustpilot Excellent 4.8★ rating from over 500,000 reviews, has won Which? Best Buy seven times, offers 100% renewable electricity as standard, and has never priced above the Ofgem price cap since launch.
Octopus Energy’s standard Flexible Octopus tariff is consistently priced at or below the Ofgem price cap. British Gas pricing varies. For EV drivers, Octopus’s Intelligent Octopus Go tariff at 8p/kWh overnight offers savings unavailable with British Gas.
Yes, Octopus Energy periodically offers fixed-rate tariffs in addition to its standard variable Flexible Octopus tariff. Availability varies — check octopus.energy for current fixed deals. With the April 2026 price cap dropping, variable tariffs may be competitive right now.
Variable tariffs (including Flexible Octopus and most smart tariffs) have no exit fees. Fixed-rate tariffs may have exit fees — always check the terms before signing up.
Use a referral link such as share.octopus.energy/brave-kiwi-22 and click through to switch. After your first Direct Debit, £50 credit is automatically added to your Octopus account — and to the referrer’s account.