Shell Energy

Shell Energy supplies around one million customers across Britain. Alongside energy deals, it also sells broadband and smart home technology.

Back in 2018, the firm purchased First Utility to become a home energy company. It then bought Hudson Energy Supply (the parent company of supplier Green Star Energy) in October 2019.

Shell Energy says all customers get 100% renewable electricity, regardless of which plan they're on. If you sign up to a Go Further Plan, the firm says that the gas and electricity it provides will be carbon neutral.

According to a notice on its website, Shell Energy has temporarily removed its fixed tariffs. The company says it 'can't give you a fair price that offers great value at this moment in time.' Customers on a fixed tariff that’s coming up for renewal will be moved to a flexible tariff at the end of their contract period.

The provider has its own loyalty programme known as Shell Go+, available through a mobile app for iOS and Android. Customers that sign up will be eligible for various perks, including a Shell fuel reward every 10th visit and 10% off every Costa Express and Shell hot drink.

Shell Energy took on the customers of several smaller suppliers - including Goto Energy, Green, Pure Planet and Usio Energy - when they stopped trading.

The film says that it's exploring alternatives to natural gas, such as heat pumps, for household heating. Shell Energy is also aiming to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.

To see if Shell Energy can save you a tidy sum, use Which? Switch to find the cheapest gas and electricity.

Shell Energy customer review

Shell Energy is ranked 11th out of 18 energy companies rated by 8,390 members of the public in the annual Which? customer survey.

An overall customer score of just 53% means that Shell Energy sits very close to the bottom of our results table. In fact, only one firm had a lower customer score than Shell Energy in this year's survey.

Other big-name firms including British Gas (58%), Outfox the Market (62%), Utility Warehouse (69%) and Octopus Energy (70%) all outperformed Shell Energy for customer score.

Shell Energy score

As part of this year's energy supplier survey, we've calculated scores for Shell Energy covering customer service, bill accuracy and clarity, plus overall value for money.

Take a look at our table below to see our score breakdown for Shell Energy.

Based on a survey of 425 Shell Energy customers carried out in September 2021.

Find out how Shell Energy compares with other energy companies – click to see the full results of the best and worst energy companies.

Which? verdict on Shell Energy

Pros: Good bill accuracy and clarity rating, plenty of perks for Shell Go+ members

Cons: Ranks poorly for customer service

Shell Energy customer service

Shell Energy scored a disappointing two stars for customer service and we received comments from a selection of customers that were unhappy with the service. Just over half (54%) shared that they thought its customer service was good and 58% said they were satisfied with it as their supplier overall.

Sadly, Shell Energy isn't the only provider to earn a two-star customer service rating in our survey – various brands including Boost, EDF Energy and SSE also scored the same.

One Shell Energy customer told us: 'They have good deals, but customer service is very slow.' Another said: 'Customer service is horrendous.'

However, we also heard from some Shell Energy customers that were impressed by the attention they'd received. Another Shell Energy customer said: 'They notify me when my direct debit needs to go up or down. Their customer service response has been timely and helpful.'

Shell Energy bill accuracy and clarity

Shell Energy scored reasonably well for bill accuracy and clarity, finishing with a three-star rating under both measures. We had a mixture of comments from customers – some had no issues making sense of their bills, while others struggled.

One Shell Energy customer told us: 'My statements are clear and there are a variety of ways I can pay my bill. Another said: 'The billing is not clear enough.'

Shell Energy value for money

Based on feedback from hundreds of Shell Energy customers, the firm has finished with a three-star rating for value for money.

We saw six other providers outscore Shell Energy on value for money, including Ovo Energy, So Energy and Utility Warehouse.

Most of the comments we received were positive, though. One Shell Energy user explained: 'They are good value for money.' Another said: 'I've had no issues. Great value for money and great service.'

Shell Energy common complaints

More than one in 10 (11%) of Shell's customers said they had something to complain about in the year to October 2021. 

For the customers that told us they were 'very dissatisfied' with Shell Energy, price was an issue.

We heard from one Shell Energy customer who said: 'Prices are excessive. My bill has increased by over £35 a month.' Another added: 'They massively overcharged us when they took over from our previous supplier and it took weeks of phone calls to get the issue resolved.'

Can you join Shell Energy with a prepayment meter?

Yes, Shell Energy can support customers both with traditional prepayment meters and smart prepayment meters. 

Customers with smart prepayment meters can top-up online and check their credit balance on their digital in-home display. 

See other firms for prepayment meter customers, plus how to change to a credit meter.

Does Shell Energy sell renewable energy?

Shell Energy buys some renewable electricity directly from generators and matches the rest of its customers’ electricity use with renewables by buying renewable energy certificates.

Shell Energy doesn’t generate renewable power itself. It buys power, via its sister company Limejump, from renewable generators and also buys REGO certificates. 

Shell Energy doesn’t sell green gas. It says it’s focussed instead on cutting gas consumption, offering a tariff that offsets CO2 emissions, and looking for long-term alternatives to gas heating. 

Find out more about the differences between energy companies’ renewable electricity.

Shell Energy in the news

Shell Energy in 2021

October: Shell Energy took on a total of 281,000 customers from Colorado Energy, Daligas, Goto Energy and Pure Planet when they stopped trading.

September: Shell Energy took on 255,000 customers from Green when it stopped trading.

March: Shell Energy is paying over 225,000 customers £1.2m after overcharging them when they switched supplier or tariff between 2013 and 2020. It was one of 18 energy firms found by regulator Ofgem to have failed to uphold these rules. Over 1 million customers were affected.

Shell's affected customers will receive £5.39 each, on average. This includes reimbursing customers and paying some compensation.

Shell Energy in 2020

December: Shell Energy reported a loss of almost £32m for 2019, in part blaming falling customer numbers as a result of lower prices being offered by other suppliers.

July: The Advertising Standards Authority banned Shell Energy's radio ad for its Shell Go+ loyalty scheme for being misleading.

The ASA said the advert implied that it was a carbon neutral fuel rather than a loyalty scheme that offset the carbon emissions of the fuel its members bought.

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