Shell Energy - Which? (2023)

Shell Energy supplies around 1.4 million homes across Britain. Alongside energy deals, it also sells broadband and smart home technology.

It 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.

The provider has its own loyalty programme known as Shell Go+, available online or through a mobile app. 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, Colorado Energy, Green, Pure Planet and Usio Energy – when they stopped trading.

The firm says 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.

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Shell Energy score

In 2022, we combined our usual customer survey with an in-depth assessment of companies’ behind-the-scenes practices and policies.

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

Here's how Shell Energy's customer and policy assessments break down:

Based on a survey of 552 Shell Energy customers carried out in October 2022, and a Which? energy company request for information made in November 2022.

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

Shell Energy customer review

Shell Energy is ranked close to the bottom of our results table in 15th place out of 16 energy companies rated by 10,197 members of the public in the annual Which? customer survey.

It was also the least likely to be recommended by its customers. Only 47% said they would do so, compared with 85% of customers of the top provider, Octopus.

Only one firm had a lower customer score than Shell Energy in this year's survey – SSE, with 46%.

It received fair three-star ratings for three of the aspects of service we rated in our survey, including the accuracy of payments and clarity of statements, but just one star for value for money and two stars for the remaining two areas, including customer service.

One unhappy customer said: 'Shell Energy are one of the worst companies I’ve ever dealt with.'

Another expressed mixed feelings: 'Good communication and they seem on the ball and have a relatively easy website to use, but I have experienced difficulty accessing it due to the volume of enquiries, which can be frustrating.'

Which? verdict on Shell Energy

Pros:Decent payment accuracy and clarity of statements ratings; perks for Shell Go+ members

Cons:Ranks poorly overall in our customer survey

Our Shell Energy supplier assessment

In November 2022 we looked at three aspects of suppliers' business practices and procedures – how they deal with complaints, how well they carry out their customer service and how they support vulnerable customers, including prepayment customers and those facing financial hardship.

We did this using a combination of our own assessments and the responses to a survey we sent to suppliers.

Shell Energy was mid-table with its supplier score of 68%, coming joint 10th along with British Gas out of the 20 suppliers we rated. This compares to 82% for Octopus.

It was also middling in how well it supports vulnerable customers, again coming in joint-10th place along with British Gas and Utilita. In contrast to this, Shell Energy came top in our assessment of its customer service, beating Octopus, but came near the bottom for its complaints performance in joint-18th place.

Shell Energy customer service

Shell Energy scored a disappointing two stars for customer service in our survey. Sadly, it wasn't the only provider to earn a two-star rating – Boost, Bulb, Sainsbury's Energy, Scottish Power and SSE all did too.

Just under two fifths (38%) said they thought its customer service was good. The only supplier with a lower percentage than this was Sainsbury's Energy with 32%.

Surprisingly, however, Shell came top in our supplier assessment of its customer service with 15 points out of a possible 17. This is based on data provided by Shell Energy, along with research carried out by Which?.

Shell Energy in the energy crisis

Shell received a fair three-star rating from its customers for the usefulness of the information it provides about energy costs but a poor two stars for the clarity of its communication about the energy market.

It placed around the middle of the table for how well it supports vulnerable customers, including people struggling to afford their bills as a result of the energy crisis. It got 17 points out of 23, which put it in joint-10th place.

Shell Energy Helpfund

The Shell Energy Helpfund is a £20m fund to help customers who are behind with their energy bills by clearing their debt and giving free boiler repairs to those who need help with them.

Shell is also giving an extra £150 to anyone who is eligible to receive the government's Warm Home Discount, doubling the amount they receive.

Shell Energy common complaints

In our survey, 4% of customers said they last contacted Shell to make a complaint.

By far the most common complaint made by those who complained was a problem with their bill with almost half (48%) doing so about this. Around a quarter (26%) complained about the accuracy of their meter and installing or removing a meter.

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 or via a mobile app and check their credit balance on their digital in-home display. All prepayment meter customers can top up at any PayPoint location by adding credit to their meter key or card.

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

The government is giving all households in Great Britain with an electricity supply a £400 discount on their energy bills spread over six months from October 2022 to March 2023 through its Energy Bills Support Scheme.

If you are a prepayment customer with a smart meter the discount will be applied automatically as credit each month. Customers with traditional prepayment meters will receive vouchers in the post.

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 2022

August: Shell had to pay a total of £536,970 for overcharging prepayment customers between January 2019 and September 2022, including £106,000 in refunds, £400,000 to Ofgem's consumer redress fund and £30,970 in goodwill payments to the affected customers.

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 paid 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 received £5.39 each on average. This included reimbursing customers and paying some compensation.