Octopus Energy vs So Energy (2026)

So Energy is a genuinely solid, well-liked supplier with strong customer service and 100% renewable electricity, so if you're happy on a fixed deal there's no urgent reason to flee. That said, for most households Octopus pulls ahead on the breadth of its smart and time-of-use tariffs, its larger independent satisfaction record and its rewards — and you can pick up £50 of welcome credit on the way in.

The verdict

So Energy is a genuinely solid, well-liked supplier with strong customer service and 100% renewable electricity, so if you're happy on a fixed deal there's no urgent reason to flee. That said, for most households Octopus pulls ahead on the breadth of its smart and time-of-use tariffs, its larger independent satisfaction record and its rewards — and you can pick up £50 of welcome credit on the way in.

So Energy was founded in 2015 by Simon Oscroft and Charlie Davies and is now majority-owned by ESB, the Irish state-backed energy group, having absorbed ESB Energy's UK retail customers a few years ago. That gives it a bigger parent company than its boutique branding suggests, while keeping its founder-led, service-first feel.

Where Octopus tends to win

• Far wider smart and time-of-use range: where So Energy offers roughly a fixed, a variable, an EV and a Tracker tariff, Octopus adds Agile half-hourly pricing, daily-rate Tracker, Intelligent Octopus Go for EVs, Cosy Octopus for heat pumps and Outgoing for solar export.
• Octopus is the UK's largest electricity supplier, used by around one in four households, and a Which? Recommended Provider many years running with an 'Excellent' ~4.8/5 Trustpilot rating — edging ahead of So Energy's well-regarded but smaller ~4.4 score.
• Octoplus rewards add free monthly Wheel of Fortune spins and paid Saving Sessions, which So Energy has no direct equivalent to.
• Both are 100% renewable on electricity, but Octopus's scale lets it invest heavily in its own generation, grid tech and the Kraken platform that powers its slick app and fast support.
• A £50 welcome credit lands automatically when you join Octopus via a referral link — So Energy has no comparable joining bonus for switchers.

Where So Energy still has a case

• So Energy has a strong reputation for friendly, responsive UK-based customer service, with many reviewers praising how easy it is to reach a real person — a genuine highlight.
• All So Energy tariffs come with 100% renewable electricity as standard, so on the green basics it matches Octopus.
• So Energy tends to push competitive fixed deals, which suits anyone who values locking in a unit rate for price certainty over chasing smart-tariff savings.

At a glance

Octopus Energy vs So Energy — general comparison, 2026

Feature	Octopus Energy	So Energy
Trustpilot	4.8/5 “Excellent”	Lower
Which? Recommended	9 yrs running	No
Smart / EV tariffs	Agile, Tracker, Intelligent Go, Cosy	Limited
100% renewable electricity	Yes	Varies
£50 welcome credit	Yes — via referral link	No equivalent

Tariff prices change with the Ofgem price cap and your region, so always confirm live rates on Octopus’s own website before switching.

How to switch from So Energy to Octopus

Switching from So Energy to Octopus is straightforward and fully protected by Ofgem and the Energy Switch Guarantee, so your supply is never interrupted — it's the same meter, pipes and wires, just a different name on the bill. Open my referral link (it looks like share.octopus.energy/word-word-number and applies the £50 code automatically), pop in your address and a meter reading, and Octopus handles the handover with So Energy for you. There's no need to cancel anything yourself, and most switches complete in about five working days. Around two to four weeks after your switch finishes and your first monthly Direct Debit is taken, the £50 credit appears in your account automatically — no claim form needed. Just make sure you use the link directly, as signing up via a comparison site or by typing the Octopus address yourself usually means the bonus won't apply.

FAQs