Revealed: The energy suppliers that top our rankings for 2026

Ready to switch energy provider? Our new rankings of the best and worst energy companies, together with our analysis of the cheapest energy deals, could get you better service for a lower price. 

Many households have spent the last few years paying variable rates, but the market for fixed deals is now increasingly competitive. Customers who want to make savings on their bills – or who are unsatisfied with their current provider – now have a decent range of options. 

While price is key, better service can also be a reason to switch. That’s where our annual, expert analysis of the best and worst energy suppliers comes in. 

See how your supplier fared in our full table of the best and worst energy companies for 2026.

The best energy suppliers

We’ve surveyed nearly 12,000 energy customers and conducted an in-depth, behind-the-scenes assessment of energy firms’ policies practices to reveal the best – and the worst – providers.

This year, four energy providers have earned Which? Recommended Provider status. They are:

• E (Gas & Electricity)
• Octopus Energy
• 100Green
• Sainsbury’s Energy

All four suppliers were rated highly by their customers in our annual survey. They also did well enough overall in our behind-the-scenes assessment, which scores companies on how well they perform in the following areas: complaints, contacting your supplier, help for customers that need it, smart meters, and switching.  

Find out more: what makes a Which? Recommended Provider. 

Which? Recommended Providers for 2026

Here’s a brief breakdown of the brands that topped our assessment for 2026.

E (Gas & Electricity)

• This is the second time E (Gas & Electricity) has been a WRP, having previously achieved the accolade in 2024. 
• It came fourth in our customer satisfaction rankings with a 78% customer score, and three or four star ratings for each aspect of its service. 
• The firm received the highest score of any provider in our behind-the-scenes assessment, performing particularly well for complaints handling, smart meters, and switching.
• It is a prepayment meter specialist, and well worth considering if you use one. 

Octopus Energy

• This is the ninth year in a row that Octopus has been named a Which? Recommended Provider.
• It received a high customer score of 79%, with three or four-star ratings in the specific areas we asked customers about. 
• It got an above-average score in the Which? assessment and received the maximum number of points when it came to supporting customers who need it. 
• Octopus was also named a Which? Eco Provider in 2024.

100Green

• This is the second time that 100Green has been named a Which? Recommended Provider.
• 100Green received the highest customer score of 82%, with three or four-star ratings in all of the areas we asked customers about.
• It received an above-average score in the Which? assessment, with a strong score of 12 out of 15 for complaints. 

Sainsbury’s Energy

• This is Sainsbury’s Energy’s first time as a Which? Recommended Provider.
• It got a customer score of 76% in our survey, with three or four-star ratings for all individual aspects of its service.
• The supplier did well enough in our behind-the-scenes assessment to cement its place, doing particularly well for providing help for those that need it.  

Find out more about what sets E (Gas & Electricity), Octopus Energy, 100Green and Sainsbury’s Energy apart. 

Energy companies that disappointed in our analysis

Scottish Power, EDF Energy and British Gas received the lowest overall scores when we combined the results of the customer survey and our behind-the-scenes assessment of their practices. These three sat at the bottom of our ranking table with overall scores of less than 60%.  

With the notable exception of Octopus Energy, none of the big energy suppliers firms fared particularly well in our analysis. Ovo Energy just tipped over the 60% mark, with 61%, while E.ON Next was the best of a mediocre bunch with 66%.  

British Gas, EDF Energy, Ovo Energy and Scottish Power all received only two stars out of five for every category their customers rated them on in our survey, including customer service and value for money. E.ON Next managed three stars for ease of contacting and accurate payments, but only two stars for everything else. 

These suppliers also racked up some poor scores in our independent analysis of supplier policies and practices, including:

• 0 out of 5 for British Gas’s switching practices
• 3 out of 12 for EDF’s options for contacting your supplier
• 4 out of 15 for Scottish Power’s complaints management.

So Energy also scored poorly in our analysis. While its customers rated it pretty highly in our survey, its low score in our supplier assessment brought its overall score down to just 60%.

Read more about British Gas, E.ON Next, EDF, Ovo Energy, Scottish Power and So Energy, and see the full results and analysis of their scores. 

Fuse Energy enters the fray

A new addition to our results table is Fuse Energy. It launched in July 2023 and has grown rapidly. 

Fuse is a digital first service, which means it doesn’t have traditional telephone support. Accounts are managed through its dedicated app or its website. While customers rate it well overall, it loses marks for communication in both our customer survey and our policy review.

Its fixed deals are competitive, and it regularly features in our top five cheapest fixed energy deals. 

Find out if Fuse is the right supplier for you in our new Fuse Energy review. and 

Is now the right time to switch energy supplier?

Despite energy prices stabilising since the 2021 energy crisis, they are still significantly higher than they were previously. As of 1 January, the typical household on a variable, price-capped tariff has energy bills around £1,758 a month.

Our latest analysis of the best energy deals found around 30 fixed and tracker deals that could save you money compared with a variable deal based on the current energy price cap. If you’ve been with your current provider for a while without switching to a new deal, there’s a good chance you’re paying more than you need to on its default, variable tariff. 

The best fixed energy deals from Which? Recommended Providers

While a good price is crucial when picking an energy tariff, with many fixed deals hovering around a similar price point, it’s also important to consider the customer service of the firm you’re switching to and how quickly and efficiently they’ll be able to resolve any issues.

None of our Which? Recommended Providers appear in the five very cheapest fixed energy deals based on our latest analysis of the current best energy deals. But Octopus and Sainsbury’s Energy both offer fixed deals that could save you money compared with the energy price cap, so are well worth a look if you’re looking for the ideal balance of cost and quality of service.