Octopus Energy vs British Gas

British Gas was the UK's biggest energy supplier for decades. They're the name everyone knows, the one your parents were probably with, the default choice for millions of households. Octopus Energy overtook them in 2024. There are good reasons for that.

I switched from British Gas to Octopus myself, so this isn't an abstract comparison. I've lived with both suppliers and can speak to the day-to-day differences. I've written about the full switching story separately, but here's how they stack up across the key areas.

Pricing

British Gas's standard variable tariff consistently sits at or very near the Ofgem price cap. They do offer fixed deals that can work out slightly cheaper, but the default rate tends to track close to the maximum permitted level.

Octopus's standard Flexible tariff typically tracks below the cap. The difference isn't enormous on the standard tariff alone, perhaps £50-100 a year depending on your usage. Where the gap really opens up is with Octopus's smart tariffs. If you've got an EV, a heat pump, solar panels or you're willing to run appliances overnight, tariffs like Go, Agile and Flux can save you hundreds. British Gas doesn't currently offer anything comparable.

Customer service

British Gas has improved significantly on this front. Their Trustpilot rating now sits at 4.4 stars, which is a strong score and much better than it was a few years ago. Octopus has 4.8 stars from over 757,000+ reviews. Both suppliers score well here, though Octopus still edges ahead.

My own experience was mixed with British Gas. Phone calls sometimes meant navigating automated menus and sitting in a queue, and email responses could feel templated. That said, many customers report improved service in recent years, and British Gas has clearly invested in this area.

Octopus's support model is slightly different. Their email support tends to address your specific question rather than sending a generic reply. The online chat works well. When they need to sort something out, they generally just get on with it. Neither supplier is perfect, but Octopus still has a slight edge in responsiveness.

Smart tariffs

Octopus offers more smart tariff variety than any other UK supplier. Agile gives you half-hourly wholesale pricing. Go and Intelligent Go give EV owners cheap overnight charging at around 7p/kWh. Flux lets solar panel owners export at premium rates. Cosy gives heat pump households three cheap periods per day. Tracker follows the wholesale market daily.

British Gas has PeakSave, which is a reward programme rather than a standalone tariff. It runs on top of your existing British Gas plan and gives smart meter customers half-price electricity on Sundays (11am to 4pm) plus occasional Green Flex events when renewable generation is high. Over a million customers have signed up, though average savings are modest at around £24 per year.

PeakSave is a decent initiative, but it's not in the same league as dedicated time-of-use tariffs like Agile or Go. If shifting your usage to cheaper periods is important to you, Octopus gives you far more flexibility and deeper savings.

Where British Gas has strengths

Being fair, British Gas does have things going for it.

HomeCare and boiler cover. British Gas is the UK's largest provider of boiler and home emergency cover. If you want your energy supply and boiler maintenance under one roof, they can do that. Octopus doesn't offer boiler servicing (though there's nothing stopping you from getting your energy from Octopus and your boiler cover elsewhere).

Infrastructure and presence. British Gas has thousands of engineers across the country. If you need a gas boiler installed, a smart meter fitted urgently, or emergency callout work, their network is massive. Octopus is growing fast in this area, but British Gas's field operation is still larger.

Name recognition. Some people just feel more comfortable with a name they've known for decades. That's not really a financial argument, but it's a real factor for some households, particularly those who aren't online-first.

The verdict

For most households, Octopus Energy is the better choice. You'll likely pay less (or at worst the same), have access to smart tariffs that British Gas doesn't match, and you'll be on 100% renewable electricity at no extra cost. Customer service is strong from both suppliers these days, though Octopus still has a slight edge.

British Gas makes sense if you want bundled boiler cover through HomeCare, value their nationwide engineer network or have negotiated a good fixed deal. For everyone else, Octopus offers more flexibility and generally lower prices.

The switching process takes about five minutes online and your energy supply is never interrupted. There's a full walkthrough in the switching guide, and you can check what Octopus would cost you with the tariff comparison tool.