Top energy suppliers compared

About Top energy suppliers compared

Energy bills carry more than one price: the rate you sign up at and the rate you live with once the term rolls over. This ranking covers 83 energy suppliers across Europe and the United States, weighing the rate a plan starts at, the terms it locks in, the standing charge that runs whatever you use, and the territory each supplier actually serves. Because these suppliers sell in different markets, prices here only compare within the same country. The spread is wide. Unit rates across this ranking run €0.12 to €0.33 around a median of €0.17, and standing charges sit at a median of €14.98. Fixed tariffs cover 94.2% of the field, and exit fees are commonly waived, with a median of €0. Gas is supplied alongside electricity by 78.7% of the ranking, so a single switch can often cover both fuels.

How we picked

Each supplier was scored on published commercial terms rather than on headline campaigns. Cost carries a weight of 40% and covers unit rate, standing charge, exit fee and the term length a customer is committed to. Offer carries 40% and reflects tariff choice, renewable content, fuels supplied and support routes. Trust carries 20% and reflects legal entity, headquarters country, market coverage and customer base. Figures come from each supplier's own rate tables, tariff descriptions, terms and contact details, plus the utility rate comparison listings that sit behind the United States entries. Where a supplier publishes a band rather than a single figure, the band is recorded as published. Suppliers that sell in one market are scored on that market alone, and their blurb names the territory they cover. Partner entries would be listed ahead of scored entries, and every supplier here is scored on the same basis. Where a supplier does not publish a figure for a field, that field is left out of its score rather than counted against it, because a missing figure says nothing about the bill a household would actually pay.

Our top picks

1. 1. Octopus Energy

   Octopus Energy sits mid-table in this ranking with a balanced offer in its home market. Tariff types cover fixed, variable and green, renewable supply reaches 100% backed by certificates, and support runs on email, phone and chat. Its unit rate of €0.17 sits close to the ranking median of €0.17, and the standing charge of €6 is well under the ranking median of €14.98. Commitment is the limit: fixed terms of 12 is the only term length listed, though an exit fee of €0 makes leaving early free. Vattenfall, the member next, offers a longer term range.

   • Fixed terms: 12
   • Exit fee: €0
   • Unit rate: €0.168

   Pros

   • Exit fee is €0, so a fixed term can be left early without a penalty
   • Green tariff is backed by 100% renewable supply on a certificates basis
   • Tariff choice covers fixed, variable and green on both electricity and gas
   • Support runs on email, phone and chat
   • Standing charge of €6 is near the low end of the compared field

   Cons

   • Fixed terms run 12 months and then need a renewal decision, since no separate renewal price is set out
   • Unit rate of €0.17 sits mid-field, so it does not undercut every rival on usage
   • Tariff list covers fixed, variable and green only, with no time of use or electric vehicle option as listed

2. 2. Budget Thuis Internet

   Budget Thuis Internet completes this ranking with a broad tariff set and a large customer base of 1,000,000. Tariff types cover fixed, variable and dynamic, so a household can move between fixed, variable and dynamic pricing within a single supplier, and renewable supply reaches 100% on certificates. Fixed terms of 12 and 36 give a choice of commitment, and support runs on chat, phone and help centre, which excludes email. The limits are structural: it serves NL only, so it does not compete with the US and Spanish members above it.

   • Top download speed (Mbps): 1,000
   • Upload speed (Mbps): 1,000
   • Price from: €3.75

   Pros

   • Download and upload match at 1,000 mbps and 1,000 mbps, so sending a large file is as quick as downloading one.
   • The setup fee is €0, so nothing has to be budgeted to get connected.
   • Contract terms run 12 and 24 months, so you can take the shorter commitment rather than the longest one.
   • A discount for multiple lines is available, which suits a household running more than one phone line.
   • Mobile sits on the KPN network with 5G, so broadband and a phone line can come from one provider.

   Cons

   • Broadband terms run 12 and 24 months and a rolling monthly option is not among the terms listed, so moving home early still means a commitment.
   • Coverage sits in a single market, NL, so anyone living outside the Netherlands should set this provider aside.
   • Support runs on chat, phone and help centre only, with no email channel listed for questions that need a written trail.
   • Mobile roaming runs on fair use terms across 43 countries, so frequent travellers should expect limits on use abroad.

3. EW8. E WIE EINFACH: best for E WIE EINFACH

   E WIE EINFACH is a digital energy provider offering electricity and gas tariffs.

   • Markets: DE

   Pros

   • Digital electricity and gas provider active for households across Germany.
   • Electricity comes entirely from renewable sources since 2021.
   • Several electricity and gas tariffs cover varied consumption needs.
   • Digital service every day with added telephone advice for questions.

   Cons

   • Operates only in Germany, so choice stays limited to one market.
   • Service centres on digital channels, with phone as added option.

4. 9. NEW Energie: best for NEW Energie

   NEW Energie is an energy provider offering electricity and gas tariffs.

   • Markets: DE

   Pros

   • Electricity and gas tariffs with transparent contract conditions for households
   • Complete photovoltaic service covering planning through to installation on roofs
   • Smart management of solar, storage, wallbox and heating in one system
   • Coordinated home energy package including heat pumps and grid backup supply

   Cons

   • Operates for German households, so choice stays limited to one country
   • Home system focus centres on houses with roofs and heating upgrades

5. ME10. MAINGAU Energie: best for MAINGAU Energie

   MAINGAU Energie supplies electricity, gas, mobile services and charging electricity.

   • Markets: DE

   Pros

   • Supplies electricity and gas alongside mobile services in Germany
   • Includes charging electricity within its energy supply range
   • Operates as an energy supplier serving households in Germany

What to look for

Unit rate against the field

Start with the unit rate, then set it against everyone else. In this ranking the median unit rate is €0.17, and the middle of the field sits between €0.12 and €0.33. A rate under the median is a starting point, not a promise about the bill.

Standing charge, billed either way

The standing charge runs whatever you consume, so it bites hardest in low usage homes. The median in this ranking is €14.98, with most suppliers spread between €6 and €31.25. Add it to a low unit rate before deciding which supplier suits a small home.

Term length and the cost of leaving early

Longer terms can hold a rate down, but they tie you in. Fixed tariffs cover 94.2% of this ranking, the median exit fee is €0, and the upper range reaches €58.11. Read the exit terms before you sign a long commitment, not after.

Whether gas comes with the electricity

A dual fuel switch saves admin, not always money. Electricity is supplied by 98.7% of suppliers in this ranking and gas by 78.7%, so most can do both while a smaller group is electricity only. Check the unit rate and standing charge for each fuel separately.

Which tariffs are on offer

Fixed pricing suits most households, dynamic suits those willing to shift usage, and time-of-use rewards evening use. In this ranking, fixed plans cover 94.2%, dynamic 49.3%, time-of-use 27.5% and green 66.7%.

How to reach someone

Billing questions move faster when there is a person to talk to. Across this ranking, phone support covers 83.6%, a help centre 80.8% and email 76.7%, while live chat reaches fewer suppliers at 43.8%.

Frequently asked questions

Top energy suppliers compared by country

• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Spain
• United Kingdom
• United States

The data behind this ranking

All data and the CSV