Bulb Vs Octopus Energy – Which is best?

Last updated: November 15, 2023

In a highly competitive market of energy suppliers in the UK, Bulb and Octopus have emerged as great options for those looking for renewable energy at cheaper rates.

With both having lots of similarities, it’s hard for the customers to make choice between them.

We will here give you a detailed comparison between these two energy suppliers to help you make a choice that best suits your needs.

Eco – Friendly energy supply:

Both Bulb and Octopus claim to offer 100 per cent renewable energy to their customers. The companies claim that all their energy is derived from the sun, water, or wind.

 According to the Bulb energy, every unit of electricity used is put back on the grid via renewable sources. They also claim to carbon offset their gas too which means the average member lowers their carbon impact by a whopping 3.2 tonnes of CO2e every year, compared to an average energy tariff.

Meanwhile, Octopus energy claims to have their electricity tariffs 100 per cent green, often less than other’s suppliers’ non-green tariffs. Octopus Energy generation is one of Europe’s largest investors in renewable power, managing 300 plus UK green energy producers.

Bulb vs Octopus: Who offers a better tariff?

Bulb Tariffs:

The bulb has only one tariff which makes it quite easier to understand.  It has a variable tariff which means prices can fluctuate depending on the wholesale energy price.

The company claims to give 30 days’ notice to its consumer before the increase. On the other hand, the company quickly pass on the savings to the consumers if the wholesale prices go down. 

See also  Off Grid Heating - Most Efficient Options Available

Recently, Bulb tariff has increased considerably with the increase in wholesale energy prices. Having no other tariff, Bulb customers may look for other providers offering fixed-rate tariffs.

Octopus Tariffs:

Unlike Bulb, the tariffs at Octopus Energy are a bit complex with customers having more than two options to choose from.  i.e., agileOctopus, Octopusgo and intelligentOctopus. Let’s briefly have a look at what these tariffs offer to their customers.

  1. agileOctopus: Offering a half-hourly wholesale rate to its consumers, this tariff is popular among those who can shift their energy use outside the peak hours of 4 pm to 7 pm. The company is claimed to be the first to introduce “plunge pricing” where customers get direct advantage of the excess production of electricity by getting paid. This tariff also offers Price Cap protection which guarantees that customers will not pay more than 35p/Kwh for electricity in case of an increase in wholesale price.
  • Octopusgo: Ideal for those having an electric vehicle, Octopusgo offers super cheap electricity for 7.5 p/Kwh between 00:30 to 04:30 every night. The tariff claims to keep your fuel cost as low as 2p per mile.
  • Intelligent Octopus:  IntelligentOctopus is a smart time-of-use tariff with peak and off-peak pricing. It has evolved from Octopusgo smart tariff and is ideal for those having an electric vehicle. The tariff is termed “intelligent” because it pairs directly with the car’s charging system, using KrakenFlex machine-learning to find the best time to charge. A customer will be charged off-peak rates even if the IntelligentOctopus chooses to charge the vehicle during peak rate time. The tariff claims to give a saving of £100 VS Octopusgo.
See also  Most Energy Efficient Tumble Dryers in the UK 2024

Which has a better price?

Cheaper rates are one of the most important factors when it comes to choosing an electricity supplier. Both Bulb and Octopus offer low energy rates, and both have zero exit fees.

Bulb claims that it is 18 per cent cheaper as compared to the Big six. However, the recent increase in wholesale energy prices has a direct impact on the prices that Bulb offers to its customers. According to Bulb, a typical member will pay £13.33 a week more for their energy after April 1, 2022.

On the other hand, Octopus offer a range of tariffs in which customers have the choice to use electricity during off-peak hours or to charge their vehicle at off-peak rates.

Customer Service:

Both energy companies are rated “Excellent” on Trustpilot and have acquired almost the reasonable customer service ratings on Citizen Advice Bureau.

Bulb Energy: Bulb energy has 4.4-star ratings on Trustpilot with 76,879 reviews. Meanwhile, it has acquired 3.3 ratings for its customer service according to the data compiled by the Citizen Advice bureau.

Bulb Energy

Overall rating3.3 ★★★★★
Complaints to third parties43.8 per 10,000 customers2 ★★★★★
Average call centre wait time (minutes: seconds)04:062.4 ★★★★★
Emails responded to within 2 days61.1%
Average response time to social media messages (hours: minutes)N/A
Customers who had an accurate bill at least once a year98.2%5 ★★★★★
Switches completed within 15 working days99%5 ★★★★★
Customer guaranteesSwitch Guarantee
Vulnerability Commitment
5 ★★★★★

Octopus Energy: Octopus Energy is rated “Excellent” with 4.7 stars and 96,199 reviews. According to the data collected by Citizen Advice Bureau, it has acquired ratings of 3.75 for its customer service.

See also  Solar Inverters - What Are They & Which Are Best?

Octopus Energy

Overall rating3.75 ★★★★★
Complaints to third parties13.4 per 10,000 customers4 ★★★★★
Average call centre wait time (minutes: seconds)02:232.6 ★★★★★
Emails responded to within 2 days59.7%
Average response time to social media messages (hours: minutes)N/A
Customers who had an accurate bill at least once a year96.4%4 ★★★★★
Switches completed within 15 working days97.3%4 ★★★★★
Customer guaranteesSwitch Guarantee
Vulnerability Commitment
5 ★★★★★

Website and Apps:

Both Bulb energy and Octopus energy have user-friendly websites with everything literally just a click away.  Although both suppliers have Apps to manage their usage and account, Bulb is taking lead with its super-fast and easy app.

Bulb energy App is very easy to use and has some great features. It has a 4.8-star rating on the apple store and a 4.1 rating on google play.

Octopus Energy has fallen behind in terms of its ratings on the Apple store which is 3.4 stars. However, it has good ratings on google play which is 4.3 stars.

Which one to choose?

There is no massive difference between Bulb energy and Octopus energy. The only big difference is the tariffs that both offer.

Bulb being the simpler is a good choice for those who avoid complexities and keep things straightforward. On the other hand, Octopus energy is ideal for those looking for tariffs which are according to their usage and affordability.