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Energy bills in the UK are expected to rise going forward, so it is important for energy consumers to find a supplier that can fulfill their energy needs without costing a fortune! We aim to provide an impartial comparison of all active energy suppliers in the UK based on a number of factors including services offered, sustainability and customer reviews.
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Our services utilize national averages for our pricing evaluations of each supplier and their tariffs. For the most accurate information, call our experts who are ready to save you both time and money.
  • Scottish Power

    Scottish Power is a member of the UK's "Big 6" energy suppliers, meaning that they are one of the largest suppliers of energy in the entire UK. They currently provide power to around 5 million customers and have no plans of slowing down any time soon. They are one of the original suppliers of green electricity, which they produce from a number of sources including their 22 UK wind farms.

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  • M+S Energy

    M+S Energy, or Mark and Spencer Energy, was launched in 2008 by the recognizable retail brand Mark and Spencer. Since then, they've actually had a significant impact on the energy market in the UK. Today, they are in an active partnership with Octopus Energy, in which M+S Energy is still responsible of bringing in their own customers but the actual energy itself that their customers use is sourced from Octopus.

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  • EDF Energy

    EDF Energy is one of the larger energy suppliers currently in the UK, they are a subsidiary of one of Europe's largest energy suppliers, the French state-owned EDF Group. They entered the UK market in 2002 and have since earned around 5 million customers, much of their success can be attributed to their clean energy and competitive prices.

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  • E Energy

    E Energy is an energy supplier in the UK that focuses primarily on providing energy to homes with prepayment meters, while they do offer tariffs to customers with credit meters it is not the core of their business. They claim to provide customers with straightforward & no-nonsense tariff plans in order to save customers both time and money.

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  • Ecotricity

    Ecotricity is one of the most environmentally friendly energy suppliers in all of the UK. Founded in 1996, they began their pledge to supply green energy long before the energy market started to trend towards renewable energy. Today, they offer what they refer to as vegan energy, which means no animals or animal byproducts are used in the production of their energy.

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  • Pure Planet

    Pure Planet is a digital only green energy supplier that provides 100% renewable electricity and carbon off-set gas at competitive prices. Founded in 2017, Pure Planet is a relatively new energy supplier to the UK market,however they have found success marketing themselves as having fair and transparent pricing for energy that won't hurt the environment.

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  • Click Energy

    Click Energy mainly operates in Northern Ireland, where they market themselves as a friendly and transparent electricity that cares about their customers' well-being. Despite being a relatively small energy supplier they are quite green and only offer 100% renewable energy to their customers.

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    • COOP Energy

      COOP Energy is an environmentally conscious energy supplier in the UK that aims to support local, small town initiatives throughout the UK. While COOP Energy customers now have their electricity and gas supplied by Octopus Energy as a result of an agreement, COOP Energy is still responsible for bringing in their own new customers and supporting them.

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    • Good Energy

      Good Energy is a 20 year veteran energy supplier in the UK that has survived intense competition. They have remained an active supplier through their reasonable tariff prices, renewable energy offers and consistent customer service.

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    • ESB Energy

      ESB, or the Electricity Supply Board, is the state provider of energy in the Republic of Ireland, but has recently began to have an increased presence in the UK energy market. Their goal as a provider is to supply renewable energy to customers at "great value", while doing as much as they can to reduce the impact that energy use has on the environment.

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    • Outfox the Market

      Outfox the Market is a relatively new and small energy supplier that offers very competitive pricing making them one of the cheapest energy suppliers in the UK. They offer green energy to their customers as well as a number of tariff options to give their customers options when choosing their energy plan.

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    • SO Energy

      SO Energy is a London based supplier for gas and electricity that offers a "low price guarantee" to their customers. Their aim as a energy supplier is to be among the cheapest 10% of all energy suppliers in the market and they do so by offerings only one simple and straightforward fixed rate tariff.

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    • Utilita

      Despite not being a member of the UK's "Big 6" energy suppliers, Utilita has built a very positive reputation for themselves among their customers. They are one of the leaders in the industry in terms of cutting-edge technology, such as smart meters, to give customers better control over their energy usage. First founded in 2003, Utilita has managed to gain around 800,000 customers.

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    • OVO Energy

      OVO Energy is among the largest energy suppliers in the UK with over 5 million customers as of 2021. They are very active in the fight against climate change and as a result are responsible for planting over a million trees since they were founded in 2009. They offer a range of tariff choices for their customers to choose from and even provide upgrade options in their tariffs for customers aiming to be even more green.

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    • Shell Energy

      Shell Energy possesses one of the most iconic and recognizable logos on the planet, and aside from being well know they are also a competitive energy supplier in the UK. They currently have around 700,000 customers and offer a wide variety of deals to their customers. These deals include special rewards, renewable energy, and discounts amongst other things.

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    • E.ON

      E.ON is one of the UK's largest energy suppliers and one of the "big 6", with over 3.5 million customers across the UK. They offer 100% renewable energy and 100% carbon offset gas to their customers and do so at competitive prices. Their focus has been on green energy since they were formed in 2000.

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    • Utility Warehouse

      As one of the most established energy suppliers in the UK today, Utility Warehouse has around 650,000 customers that they provide energy to. They offer a wide range of services beyond energy such internet, landlines, and mobile phone services that they factor into their bundled offers. In that sense Utility Warehouse acts as a one-stop-shop for many customers.

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    • Octopus

      Octopus Energy, one of the newest members of the UK's "Big 6" energy suppliers currently provides power to roughly 2.5 million customers. Founded in 2015, Octopus Energy has had tremendous success by providing what many say to be great customer service and fairly prices tariffs. They are also among one of the greenest energy suppliers in the UK, using 100% green electricity and offsetting as much gas as possible from their customers' usage.

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    • British Gas

      British Gas is one of the largest energy suppliers in the UK. As one of the big 6 suppliers, they provide energy to millions of homes throughout the UK. They offer a wide range of tariffs to cover the needs of their customers.

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UK Energy Suppliers: Which is the best?

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The UK hosts an impressive number of energy suppliers, boasting 37 energy companies even during the ongoing UK energy crisis. Choosing between fixed or variable tariffs, single or dual fuel, renewable or non-renewable sources – it can all be a little overwhelming. If you’re looking for a little guidance, we have you covered.
Last update: November 2022

This article will list most of the UK’s live energy suppliers, as well as the suppliers that have recently gone bust. We’ll show you the best electricity and gas deals for you. Whether you’re looking for green energy, business tariffs, or just a cheap energy deal,  we have you covered.

How many energy suppliers are in the UK?

At the moment, there are around 37 active energy suppliers currently trading in the UK. This means that, during the ongoing energy crisis, at least 62 energy suppliers have ceased trading.

Here you can find a list of all active suppliers listed below:

 
🏷
Supplier Logo
🌐
Supplier Name
⭐️
Trustpilot Rating
✍️
Description
British Gas logo British Gas 3.4/5 with 115,911 customer reviews The UK’s biggest energy company, British Gas was the state energy supplier until the industry was privatised in 1990.
EDF Energy logo EDF 4.2/5 with 40,835 customer reviews Majority-owned by the French government, EDF mostly uses nuclear power as its source, although it also has some renewables.
E.ON Next logo E.ON & E.ON Next 3.5/5 with 39,424 customer reviews German company, E.On (formerly Powergen), is a good all-rounder that currently supplies energy to over 5 million UK homes.

E.On Next is their new subsidiary that focuses on delivering clean, renewable energy to customers.

Scottish Power logo Scottish Power 3.3/5 with 44,192 customer reviews Scottish Power provides energy to roughly 1 in 10 UK homes and generates its own clean wind energy.
SSE logo OVO Energy 4.2/5 with 70,624 customer reviews Upon acquiring SSE in 2020, OVO became one of the biggest suppliers in the UK.
Octopus Energy logo Octopus Energy 4.8/5 with 118,250 customer reviews Octopus Energy exploded onto the scene in 2015 and has since won multiple “supplier of the year” awards. The company provides 100% renewable energy, carbon offset gas and excellent customer service.
Utility Warehouse logo Utility Warehouse 4.2/5 with 27,098 customer reviews Utility Warehouse offers energy deals, as well as phone, TV and broadband packages.
Shell Energy logo Shell Energy 4.1/5 with 63,705 customer reviews Shell may be known as an oil giant, but they have offered surprisingly renewable (and affordable) energy since 2019.
Utilita logo Utilita 4.4/5 with 61,466 customer reviews Another company dedicated to providing affordable tariffs for customers with Pay As You Go meters.
So Energy logo So Energy 4.1/5 with 10,589 customer reviews In 5 short years, So Energy has made a huge impression on customers, with impeccable customer service and affordable renewable tariffs.
Outfox the market logo Outfox The Market 4.4/5 with 33,249 customer reviews As the name suggests, Outfox the market constantly reviews wholesale energy prices and adjusts their prices accordingly to offer the best value for money.
ecotricity logo Ecotricity 3.9/5 with 4,252 customer reviews Ecotricity is arguably the UK’s greenest supplier and its only vegan energy supplier. It provides 100% renewable electricity and biomethane while also supporting anti-fracking campaigns.
Coop energy logo COOP Energy 4.6/5 with 4,977 customer reviews COOP Energy is among the UK’s most environmentally conscious energy suppliers.
ESB Energy logo ESB Energy 4.3/5 with 4,270 customer reviews Ireland’s state energy supplier has made its way to the UK, offering affordable renewable energy.
Good Energy logo Good Energy 4.6/5 with 6,875 customer reviews The UK’s first renewable supplier, Good Energy has been delivering clean energy to UK households since 1999.
Click energy logo Click Energy 1.7/5 with 20 customer reviews “Northern Ireland’s top energy supplier”, Click Energy combines affordable green energy.
E energy logo E Energy 3.7/5 with 824 customer reviews The prepayment meter specialist, E Energy, offers hassle-free customer service and competitive prices.
M&S Energy logo M & S Energy 4.9/5 with 3,855 customer reviews The beloved supermarket chain has paired with Octopus Energy to deliver renewable energy.
green energy logo Green Energy UK 3.6/5 with 8,918 customer reviews Green Energy UK offers 100% renewable electricity as well as renewable biomethane gas. While it isn’t the cheapest supplier, it makes up for this with outstanding green credentials!

Which energy suppliers have gone bust?

As mentioned, 62 energy suppliers in the UK have gone bust in the last couple of years. As a result, there is a streamlined process to ensure that your home never loses power in the event that your supplier ceases trading.

That being said, the following list is of notable suppliers that have gone bust recently, either as a result of the UK energy crisis or unrelated difficulties:

 
🌐
Supplier
📅
Date of closure
🤝
Acquiring supplier
Boost Energy April 2022 *Dissolved
Xcel Power February 2022 Yü Energy Retail Limited
Whoop Energy February 2022 Yü Energy Retail Limited
Together Energy January 2022 British Gas
Bristol Energy January 2022 British Gas
Zog Energy December 2021 EDF
Entice Energy November 2021 Scottish Power
Orbit Energy November 2021 Scottish Power
Bulb November 2021 Octopus Energy
Social Energy November 2021 British Gas
Neon Energy November 2021 British Gas
CNG Energy November 2021 Pozitive Energy
Ampower UK November 2021 Yu Energy
Zebra Power November 2021 British Gas
MA Energy November 2021 Smartest Energy
Omni Energy November 2021 Utilita
Bluegreen Energy November 2021 Shell Energy
GOTO Energy October 2021 Shell Energy
Daligas October 2021 Shell Energy
Pure Planet October 2021 Shell Energy
Colorado Energy October 2021 Shell Energy
Symbio October 2021 E.on Next
Enstroga Energy September 2021 E.on Next
Igloo Energy September 2021 E.on Next
Avro Energy September 2021 Octopus Energy
Green September 2021 Shell Energy
E.on Next September 2021 EDF
Peoples Energy September 2021 British Gas
Moneyplus Energy September 2021 British Gas
pfp September 2021 British Gas
Hub Energy August 2021 E.on Next
Nabuh Energy April 2021 British Gas
Green Network Energy January 2021 EDF
Simplicity Energy January 2021 British Gas
Lumo Energy 2020 Ovo Energy
Yorkshire Energy December 2020 Scottish Power
Tonik Energy October 2020 Scottish Power
GnERGY September 2020 Bulb
Ebico September 2020 British Gas
Avid Energy July 2020 Nabuh Energy
Better Energy March 2020 PFP
Breeze Energy March 2020 British Gas
SSE January 2020 British Gas
Npower September 2019 E.on
*A company that is dissolved will not be incorporated into another supplier. Dissolution means that the company will experience full closure.

Who are the best energy suppliers in the UK?

Currently, Octopus Energy is heralded as the best UK energy supplier overall after winning 11 awards in 2021 alone. However, truthfully, there is no single energy supplier that is far better than the others.

The right energy supplier for you will depend on your needs, household energy consumption and location. Yet, in the interest of supplying you with actionable information, we’ve broken down suppliers and placed them in the following categories below:

  • 💪 Most stable suppliers in the UK.
  • 💵 Cheapest suppliers in the UK.
  • 🌱 Greenest suppliers in the UK.
  • 👶🏻 Best small suppliers in the UK.

Who are the most stable energy suppliers?

In the UK’s energy market, the “Big Six” are the six most powerful and largest energy suppliers in the business. These suppliers are handling the energy needs of millions of UK energy homes and businesses.

Due to their huge presence in the market, it’s unlikely that these energy suppliers will go bust. However, they have taken many of their tariffs off the market and aren’t taking on new customers.

The “Big Six” is made up of the following suppliers:

big 6 providers

Below you can find examples of what their standard variable tariffs look like when directly compared:

 
🌐
Energy Supplier
📄
Energy Tariff
💵
Electricity Annual Cost (£)
💵
Gas Annual Cost (£)
💰
Total Annual Cost (£)
British Gas Standard Variable £ 1,034.09* £ 576.61* £ 1,610.71**
E.ON/E.ON Next Next Flex £ 754.666* £ 640.424* £ 1395.090**
Octopus Energy FlexibleOctopus £ 649.882* £ 479.512* £ 1129.394**
EDF Standard Variable £ 699.763* £ 576.603* £ 1276.367**
OVO Energy Simpler Energy £ 633.240* £ 511.157* £ 1,144.40**
ScottishPower Standard Variable £ 704.228* £ 576.567* £ 1280.795**

* Prices displayed are national averages
** Based on Ofgem’s TDCV (2,900.00 kWh of ⚡ and 12,000.00 kWh of 🔥 per year).
Rates are inclusive of VAT at 5%.

What are some of the best small energy suppliers?

Smaller energy suppliers are popular for their more personable, customisable experiences. However, be cautious that these suppliers are at greater risk during the energy crisis.

We’ve selected the following notable “smaller” suppliers from the UK market based on annual costs, tariff options, sustainability, and, of course, customer satisfaction.

Below we can see some of the pricing information for one of each supplier’s popular tariff options. However, it’s important to note that the tariffs listed in this table are all variable-rate tariffs. This means that their costs will fluctuate to reflect the ongoing instability of the UK energy market.

 
🌐
Energy Supplier
📄
Energy Tariff
💵
Electricity Annual Cost (£)
💵
Gas Annual Cost (£)
💰
Total Annual Cost (£)
M&S Energy M&S Everyday Energy £ 649.88* £ 489.52* £ 1,139.40**
Outfox the Market One Green Flex £ 640.21* £ 456.97* £ 1,097.18**

* Prices displayed are national averages
** Based on Ofgem’s TDCV (2,900.00 kWh of ⚡ and 12,000.00 kWh of 🔥 per year).
Rates are inclusive of VAT at 5%.

What are the cheapest energy suppliers?

Right now, the cheapest electricity supplier is Octopus. Also, the cheapest gas supplier is $UK_NRJ_Cheapest_gas_SVT$.

However, the cheapest energy tariff will depend on your household’s energy consumption levels and location. What may be the cheapest option for someone else may not be the cheapest for you.

Still, we’ve gathered some of the cheapest energy plans based on national averages.

What is the cheapest fixed electricity tariff?

While most of the cheap energy suppliers, unfortunately, went bust in recent months. Right now, Octopus is considered the cheapest supplier for fixed electricity tariffs:

 
🌐
Energy Supplier
📄
Energy Tariff
💵
Electricity Annual Cost (£)
Click Energy / £ 8.90*
E.ON.Next / £ 19.95*
EDF  / £ 19.95*

* Prices displayed are national averages
Rates are inclusive of VAT at 5%.
Exit fees may vary.

What is the cheapest fixed gas tariff?

Alternatively, here are the cheapest 12-month fixed-rate tariffs available in the UK for gas:

 
🌐
Energy Supplier
📄
Energy Tariff
💵
Electricity Annual Cost (£)
EDF / £ 21.48*
E.ON.Next / £ 21.67*
Click Energy  / £ 25.71*

* Prices displayed are national averages
Rates are inclusive of VAT at 5%.
Exit fees may vary.

Who are the greenest energy suppliers?

Right now, the greenest energy supplier is Green Energy UK. This company offers 100% green electricity and 100% green gas. This means that, unlike most other suppliers, Green Energy doesn’t offset their gas, but sustainably generates it instead.

Still, this supplier is fairly pricey and has relatively poor customer reviews. Therefore, we recommend also taking a look at other green suppliers, like:

  • Ecotricity – 100% renewable electricity + carbon-offset gas
  • E.on/E.on Next – 100% renewable electricity + 100% carbon-offset gas
  • Octopus Energy – 100% renewable electricity + partial carbon-offset gas
  • Good Energy – 100% renewable electricity + 90% carbon-offset gas

Below you can find an example of one tariff option from each of the suppliers mentioned above with all of its pricing information included.

 
🌐
Energy Supplier
📄
Energy Tariff
🏷
Tariff Type
💵
Electricity Annual Cost (£)
💵
Gas Annual Cost (£)
💰
Total Annual Cost (£)
Green Energy UK Sparkling 24 Month Fixed-Rate £ 868.027* £ 924.360* £ 1792.387**
E.on/E.on Next Next Online 12 Month Fixed Rate £ 633.727* £ 493.150* £ 1126.877**
Ecotricity Fully Charged Bundle (only for electric vehicle owners) Variable Rate £ 965.21* £ 1,011.47* £ 1,976.68**
Octopus Energy flexibleOctopus Variable Rate £ 649.882* £ 479.512* £ 1129.394**
Good Energy SVT Standard Variable Rate £ 671.966* £ 573.906* £ 1245.872**

* Prices displayed are national averages
** Based on Ofgem’s TDCV (2,900.00 kWh of ⚡ and 12,000.00 kWh of 🔥 per year).
Rates are inclusive of VAT at 5%.

🌱Be weary of greenwashing!

Suppliers are able to purchase a REGO certificate, which claims to show that the energy being provided is from a renewable source. As a result, some energy companies are able to advertise 100% renewable energy in their tariffs even though they don’t produce any renewable energy themselves.

This is what we refer to as greenwashing; when a company falsely claims to be more environmentally friendly than they are in order to gain more customers.

However, the list we compiled above shows the most genuinely sustainable energy suppliers in the UK. Each of these suppliers offers 100% renewable electricity and either 100% green gas or carbon offset gas.

 

 Mom and daughter reading a story together using night-lights

Business energy: who is the best business electricity supplier?

Most energy suppliers also offer special commercial tariffs for businesses. While the “Big 6” tend to dominate in the world of commercial electricity, there are still a number of smaller energy suppliers in the UK with commercial electricity tariffs.

Octopus Energy, Utility Warehouse Energy and So Energy all have competitively priced tariffs targeted at business users. For example, here are some great business tariffs from Octopus Energy:

 

 
🌐
Energy Supplier
📄
Energy Tariff
💵
Annual Cost (£)
$UK_NRJ_OCT_Elec_Business_GF12$ Business - Fixed 12 £ 755.553*
$UK_NRJ_OCT_Gas_Business_GF12$ Business - Fixed 12 £ 712.605*
$UK_NRJ_OCT_E7_Business_GF12$ Economy 7 - Business Fixed 12 months £ 732.753*

Call us to switch your energy supplier for free!

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FAQ

1️⃣ Who are the best Energy Suppliers in the UK?

It really depends what you’re looking for in a supplier. However, we'd recommend:

  1. Outfox The Market for affordability
  2. Octopus for customer service
  3. Green Energy UK for Green Energy

💰 Who decides what Energy Suppliers in the UK can charge?

Like most private enterprises, Energy Suppliers have a regulatory body. Ofgem ensures that energy companies act ethically and charge reasonably. They place a cap on how much energy companies can charge per year. This is currently set at £2,500 for both fuels. 

❓How many UK Energy Suppliers are there?

There are currently around 37 active Energy Suppliers across the UK. If you thought that the “Big 6” were your only option, you may well find a better deal among the smaller providers out there.

🏃Is it easy to change Energy Suppliers?

Unfortunately, it's not easy to change suppliers right now as most suppliers aren't taking on new customers. 

🚫 What do I need to do when my supplier goes bust?

You just have to be patient. Ofgem automatically transfers all the customers of the bust supplier to a new more stable supplier. The new supplier will be in touch with you on the plans available at their company.

Updated on 29 Jan, 2024

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