Ecotricity, OVO and SSE energy bills update as expert gives verdict | UK | News

January 12, 2026 4,506

Energy bills are back in our thoughts once again. That common bane of British life is a real headache at this time of year.

For one thing, it’s freezing – with much of Britain having only dusted itself down from a barrage of snow. For another, Ofgem has just raised its energy price cap. Now UK households have been given important new information on how each energy supplier is performing – and who are the ‘best and worst’ according to certain criteria. Octopus Energy, currently the largest supplier in the UK with 6.8 million customers, features, as do the next five biggest, British Gas, E.ON Next, OVO Energy, EDF Energy and Scottish Power.

A BBC money expert is now advising some people might want to weigh up switching to a competitor for a better deal. That call comes as the energy cap rise of 0.2% increase adds about 28p a month for the average household in England, Wales and Scotland remaining on a standard variable tariff.

In addition, Britain has notably higher energy prices than in many other countries across Europe, due to its higher reliance on gas that requires lots of importing due to low storage levels here. When global prices rise, we feel it – and gas, as the most expensive generator needed, sets the price for all electricity in UK.

By comparison, France has a much greater reliance on nuclear and Spain more on renewables, while Germany, Italy and France all have better gas storage levels.

Now energy providers are in the spotlight. Citizens Advice has just released its latest league table ranking the UK’s biggest energy suppliers on everything from customer care to how long they take to answer the phone.

Studying the new information, BBC finance reporter Louise Minchin, a former BBC Breakfast presenter, said on BBC Morning Live today, Monday, January 12: “The big takeaway this time is that while some suppliers are really stepping up, others are still falling way short of what customers deserve.

“If we look at the top of the table, Ecotricity and Outfox the Market are consistently performing well, particularly when it comes to low complaint volumes and ease of contact. Utility Warehouse is also right up there.”

Host Gaby Roslin asked: “And what about the big names that most people will be with?”

Louise replied: “It’s a bit of a mixed bag. Octopus Energy continues to be the best-performing of the larger suppliers, ranking in the top five overall. British Gas and EDF are sitting more in the middle of the pack—they’ve made some improvements in their response times, but their complaint handling still needs work.”

She then went to look at the other end of the table.

Louise said: “At the bottom end of the table, we’re seeing OVO Energy and SSE struggling significantly. Citizens Advice found that customers with these firms are often waiting much longer for their calls to be answered—sometimes over 15 minutes—and are facing more issues with billing accuracy.”

Host Gethin Jones then asked her if customers with one of those bottom-ranked firms should now be asking if it is time to switch.

Louise said: “It’s certainly a reason to look at your options. We always talk about switching for price, but switching for better service is just as valid. If you’re constantly frustrated by long wait times or billing errors, use this league table as your guide. You can find the full rankings on the Citizens Advice website.”

The rankings in full