Author: Joy | Energy Markets Analyst, 3.6+ years in the energy industry

Last checked: 7 October 2026

Author: Joy | Energy Markets Analyst, 3.6+ years in the energy industry

There is no clear winner between British Gas and E.ON Next for every household.

Right now, E.ON Next has the stronger independent customer-service record and a higher proportion of smart meters operating in smart mode. British Gas remains competitive on tracker pricing, has a stronger current contact-waiting score and offers a broad range of EV, heat-pump, battery and solar tariffs.

The price is much closer than it was even a month ago.

At the start of October, one national tariff comparison put a British Gas 23-month fixed deal at about £1,669 a year and an E.ON Next 24-month fixed deal at about £1,670 for typical use, effectively a tie. Tariff versions and availability change quickly, so postcode and annual usage matter more than a static supplier ranking.

Bottom line: E.ON Next, it currently looks stronger for customer service and smart-meter performance. British Gas can be equally competitive on price, particularly on tracker products and for some usage patterns. Compare the exact tariff, not just the supplier name.

For context, Ofgem’s current 1 October to 31 December 2026 typical dual-fuel Direct Debit benchmark is £1,723 a year, based on 2,500 kWh of electricity and 9,500 kWh of gas. Average electricity is 26.32p/kWh, and gas is 7.97p/kWh.

British Gas vs E.ON Next at a Glance

The customer-service figures cover April to June 2026, while the smart-meter figures are Ofgem data measured at 30 June 2026.

The first thing I would take from this table is that price alone does not give E.ON Next an obvious victory anymore.

Service data does.

Is E.ON Next Cheaper Than British Gas?

Sometimes, but not consistently enough to call E.ON Next the cheaper supplier.

This comparison has changed materially since September.

An older like-for-like dataset showed E.ON Next well ahead on fixed pricing. That was useful evidence at the time, but energy tariffs move too quickly for a September result to be presented as an October answer.

By early October, one current comparison showed:

The £1 difference is commercially meaningless.

MoneySavingExpert updated its fixed-deal analysis again on 6 October and listed E.ON Next’s Next Fixed 12m Exclusive v10 among the strongest current fixes, at around 4.2% below the October price cap for typical use.

That illustrates the real issue.

There is no stable “British Gas price” or “E.ON price”. There are tariff versions, regional prices, eligibility rules and changing market offers.

If I were comparing them today, I would get both quotes on the same day using the same postcode and annual kWh.

Fixed tariffs

E.ON Next currently offers 12- and 24-month fixed tariffs. Its standard tariff information lists exit fees of £50 per fuel for Next Fixed 12m and £100 per fuel for Next Fixed 24m.

British Gas currently offers conventional fixed deals alongside its Fix & Fall product, which is designed to provide fixed-price protection but allow the price to fall later if specified British Gas pricing falls under the product mechanism.

That changes the decision from:

“Which fix is £5 cheaper?”

to:

“Which contract gives me the right price certainty and the least expensive way out if circumstances change?”

If two tariffs are within £10–£20 a year, I would pay more attention to the contract length and exit fee than the headline ranking.

Tracker tariffs

Both suppliers now have products linked to the Ofgem price cap.

British Gas currently advertises its fixed-term tracker as up to £60 below the cap.

E.ON Next says Next Pledge stays below the cap and gives a typical dual-fuel customer an illustrative £50 annual saving, applied through reduced unit rates. It carries a £25 exit fee per fuel if you leave E.ON Next.

These headline savings are not perfectly interchangeable because the tariff structures and regional prices differ.

That is why I would avoid saying:

“British Gas is £10 cheaper.”

without checking the actual quote.

What Is the Real Annual Cost?

This is the part of the comparison that matters most.

The real cost is:

electricity usage + gas usage + standing charges + any relevant tariff costs

More specifically:

Annual cost =

electricity kWh × electricity unit rate

+ gas kWh × gas unit rate

+ 365 days of electricity standing charge

+ 365 days of gas standing charge

Then account for anything relevant such as an exit fee if you expect to leave early.

Why p/kWh alone can mislead you

Suppose one tariff is 0.5p/kWh cheaper but its combined standing charges cost £150 more each year.

For a low-use household, that cheaper unit rate may never recover the extra fixed cost.

For a high-use household, it might.

This is exactly why I would not compare:

26p vs 25.5p

and stop there.

The useful question is:

What does each tariff cost over a full year at my consumption?

Which Is Better for Low and High Energy Use?

The winner can change with usage.

If you use relatively little energy

Standing charges become more important because you pay them every day even when consumption is low.

A 15p-per-day difference is:

£54.75 over a year.

That can easily outweigh a small unit-rate advantage for a low-use property.

If your usage is high

Unit rates matter increasingly more.

A 1p/kWh difference across 10,000 kWh is:

£100.

Across 20,000 kWh:

£200.

So for a high-use home, the supplier with the slightly lower unit rates can eventually overtake the one with cheaper standing charges.

This is why someone else’s annual bill is a poor way to decide between British Gas and E.ON Next.

Use your own kWh.

Which Has Better Customer Service?

On current independent evidence, E.ON Next wins this part of the comparison quite comfortably.

Citizens Advice’s latest ratings cover April to June 2026:

The useful interpretation is not:

“British Gas service is bad.”

British Gas actually performs better on contact waiting.

The bigger issue is what happens after you get through.

E.ON Next currently scores much better for:

• complaints;
• billing;
• metering;
• overall performance.

If the price difference between your two quotes is only £10 or £20 a year, I think these service differences become more relevant.

Which Has Better Smart-Meter Performance?

E.ON currently leads here too.

Ofgem’s latest supplier-level data shows:

“Smart mode” means the meter is successfully communicating so readings can be sent automatically.

That does not mean 94.8% of E.ON customers will never have a meter problem.

It is a supplier-level operational measure.

What I find more useful is the direction of travel: British Gas has improved from 83.7% in June 2024 to 91.7% in June 2026, while E.ON has remained consistently above 93%.

If smart tariffs, EV charging or half-hourly consumption data are important to you, I would give E.ON Next the edge on the current evidence.

British Gas vs E.ON Next for EV Charging

This comparison is more interesting than it looks because the cheap overnight price is only part of your electricity bill.

Current published EV offers

British Gas EV Power

• 9.5p/kWh
• midnight to 5am
• works with any make of EV and home charger
• smart meter required
• cheap off-peak electricity can be used by the whole home.

E.ON Next Drive Smart

E.ON’s current published information states an off-peak rate around 8.095p/kWh, with a six-hour midnight-to-6am window, subject to compatible EV/charger and smart-charging requirements.

On the headline numbers, E.ON has:

• the lower off-peak rate;
• an extra cheap hour.

That sounds decisive.

It isn’t necessarily.

Look at the whole house

If you use 2,000–3,000 kWh to charge the car but another 3,000–4,000 kWh around the house at peak rates, the daytime tariff can wipe out the EV saving.

British Gas also has the advantage of broader compatibility on its standard EV Power tariff, while E.ON’s smart proposition depends more heavily on compatible equipment and smart charging.

So the right framework is:

EV charging + normal household consumption + standing charge

not:

Which supplier has the lowest overnight number?

Which Is Greener?

This is another area where supplier comparisons often oversimplify the evidence.

British Gas has already published its company-wide Fuel Mix Disclosure for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026:

British Gas reports company-wide emissions of 42g CO₂/kWh for that reporting period.

E.ON Next’s currently published official disclosure still covers 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025:

I would not turn those figures into a simple winner because they cover different reporting periods.

More importantly:

supplier-wide fuel mix and tariff-specific renewable claims are not the same thing.

British Gas’ EV Power tariff, for example, is matched with 100% renewable electricity through REGOs.

E.ON also sells specific products backed by renewable electricity.

If renewable energy matters to you, check the specific tariff, not just the supplier’s corporate fuel-mix percentage.

British Gas vs E.ON Next: Pros and Cons

British Gas

Pros

• competitive tracker proposition;
• better current Citizens Advice contact-waiting score;
• broad EV, heat-pump, solar, battery and export tariff range;
• standard EV tariff works with any make of EV and home charger;
• significant recent improvement in smart-meter operation.

Cons

• weaker overall Citizens Advice score;
• substantially weaker current billing/metering score;
• lower smart-mode percentage than E.ON;
• fixed-tariff competitiveness changes quickly by tariff version;
• some attractive products carry meaningful exit fees.

E.ON Next

Pros

• stronger current independent customer-service record;
• stronger billing/metering score;
• higher smart-mode percentage;
• competitive fixed tariffs;
• very competitive smart EV proposition;
• broad range of smart/time-of-use products.

Cons

• weaker contact-waiting score than British Gas;
• specialist tariffs can require compatible smart technology;
• 24-month fixes can carry £100-per-fuel exit fees;
• not automatically cheaper once standing charges and usage are included.

Which Supplier Is Better for You?

Choose E.ON Next if…

I would lean towards E.ON Next if:

• service quality matters strongly;
• billing and metering reliability are important;
• you use smart tariffs;
• your EV and charger are compatible with Next Drive Smart;
• its current postcode quote is within a small amount of British Gas.

Consider British Gas if…

British Gas is worth a closer look if:

• its tracker or fixed quote is lower for your postcode;
• lower standing charges suit your usage;
• fast contact matters;
• you want an EV tariff with broad charger compatibility;
• you already use Hive or other British Gas home-energy products.

There is no reason every household should make the same choice.

One Thing We Would Not Do at Energy Solutions

We would not pick a supplier from the lowest headline unit rate.

In commercial energy, we’ve seen exactly how misleading that can be.

In one anonymised hospitality case, a competitor appeared cheaper on the headline unit rate. Once we calculated the customer’s real annual consumption, standing charges and wider cost structure, that “cheaper” offer was estimated to cost around £900–£1,200 more over the year.

That was a business contract, so the saving should not be applied to a household British Gas/E.ON comparison.

The practical lesson does carry across:

the cheapest individual rate is not necessarily the cheapest total tariff.

When the difference between British Gas and E.ON Next is small, calculate the full annual cost before deciding.

If You’re Comparing British Gas and E.ON Next for a Business

This is where the comparison changes completely.

The domestic figures above should not be used to choose a business-energy contract.

Businesses are not protected by the household Ofgem price cap, and most business contracts do not have a normal cooling-off period once agreed.

E.ON Next currently offers business customers 1-, 2- and 3-year fixed contracts, bespoke multi-site arrangements and selected renewable-backed tariffs.

British Gas Business currently offers 1- to 3-year fixed-price plans, British Gas Lite and renewable commercial options.

There is also now useful independent non-domestic service evidence.

Citizens Advice’s April–June 2026 non-domestic supplier performance table ranks:

• E.ON Next: 3rd
• British Gas: 5th

for complaint performance.

For a business, however, I would still prioritise:

• live unit rate;
• standing charge;
• annual consumption;
• meter profile;
• contract length;
• renewal date;
• pass-through charges;
• commission;
• total annual cost.

A business quote can look cheap and still be the wrong commercial contract.

Energy Solutions compares live business energy quotes from 30+ UK suppliers, including British Gas Business and E.ON Next, so the two can be tested against the wider market rather than against each other in isolation.

Switching Between British Gas and E.ON Next

For a household, switching supplier is mainly an administrative change. The gas and electricity still reach the property through the same network.

Before switching:

1. Check your current tariff.
2. Check the contract end date.
3. Check any exit fee.
4. Find your annual electricity and gas usage in kWh.
5. Get the new supplier’s postcode-specific quote.
6. Check meter and tariff eligibility.
7. Compare annual cost rather than monthly Direct Debit.
8. Keep a meter reading around the switch date.

Ofgem says a domestic switch should normally complete within five working days. New domestic contracts also have a 14-day cancellation period.

If a saving is only £20 but leaving your current fixed tariff costs £100, switching early clearly does not make financial sense.

Calculate the net saving, not just the new tariff price.

British Gas vs E.ON Next: Final Verdict

If I had to choose purely from the current independent evidence, E.ON Next has the stronger overall supplier-performance case.

It ranks higher for customer service, performs much better on billing and metering and has a higher percentage of smart meters operating correctly in smart mode.

But I would no longer say E.ON Next is clearly cheaper.

The fixed market has moved quickly enough that British Gas and E.ON deals can be separated by almost nothing, while tracker, standing-charge and smart-tariff structures can produce different winners for different households.

So the decision is:

Use service data to judge the supplier. Use your postcode and annual kWh to judge the tariff.

And if you’re comparing them for a business, do not use household tariff data at all; compare live commercial quotes and contract terms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is E.ON Next cheaper than British Gas?

Not consistently. Current fixed deals can be very close, and the winner changes by tariff version, postcode and usage. Earlier September comparisons favoured E.ON Next more clearly, but by early October some British Gas and E.ON fixed offers were within roughly £1 a year of each other for typical use.

Is British Gas cheaper than E.ON Next?

It can be. British Gas can be competitive on tracker pricing and some customers may benefit from lower standing charges. But E.ON Next may beat it on other fixed or smart products. Compare both using the same postcode and annual kWh.

Which has better customer service?

E.ON Next currently performs better overall. Citizens Advice gives it 3.71/5 and ranks it 3rd for April–June 2026. British Gas scores 2.61/5 and ranks 14th, although British Gas performs better for contact waiting.

Which has better smart-meter performance?

E.ON currently leads. Ofgem reports 94.8% of E.ON smart meters operating in smart mode versus 91.7% for British Gas at 30 June 2026.

Which is better for EV charging?

E.ON Next currently advertises the lower headline off-peak rate and a longer cheap period, while British Gas EV Power offers broader EV/charger compatibility. The right answer depends on your whole-home electricity cost, not just the EV rate.

Which is greener?

There is no clean company-level answer using the currently published data because British Gas and E.ON Next’s official fuel-mix disclosures cover different reporting years. Compare the exact renewable claim on the tariff you’re considering.

Is E.ON Next the same as E.ON?

E.ON Next is part of the wider E.ON Group and is the customer-facing energy supplier for millions of UK domestic and small-business customers.

Can I switch from British Gas to E.ON Next?

Yes. Check your existing tariff and exit fees first, then compare the E.ON Next quote using your postcode and annual usage. Domestic switches should normally complete within five working days.

Can I switch from E.ON Next to British Gas?

Yes. The same checks apply: current tariff, exit fee, annual kWh, meter type and the actual British Gas quote available to your postcode.

Which is better for a business?

Neither can be declared universally better. Current independent non-domestic complaints data favours E.ON Next, but business prices are individually quoted and there is no domestic-style price cap. Compare total annual commercial cost and contract terms before signing.