EDF Energy

EDF Energy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the French state-owned EDF Group (Electricité de France), one of Europe’s largest energy companies. 

It says it 'is a sustainable and responsible energy business'.

It is Britain's biggest producer of zero carbon electricity. Around 54% of its electricity comes from nuclear power and a further 20.1% from wind and solar.

EDF Energy took on customers of Green Network Energy, Zog, iSupply Energy and Utility Point when these smaller firms stopped trading. 

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EDF score

We combine the results of our customer survey with an in-depth assessment of companies' behind-the-scenes practices and policies to give you an overall view.

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

Here's how EDF's customer and policy assessments break down:

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

EDF customer review

EDF Energy is ranked joint 14th out of 16 energy companies rated by 11,984 members of the public in the annual Which? customer survey. Its score of 62% puts it only a handful of percentage points above the bottom-placed companies (Scottish Power and Ovo Energy, which scored 58% and 56%, respectively).

Its customers rated it three stars across all measures except value for money, where it only received two stars. One customer said: 'The supply and services are fine but the cost is not the cheapest.'

Another customer said about getting in touch with EDF: ''Staff are helpful, but it requires a long wait to speak to them.' 

Which? verdict on EDF

• Pros: One of the best for supporting vulnerable customers
• Cons: Customers don’t consider it good value; poor complaints performance

Our EDF supplier assessment

In September-November 2024 we looked at five aspects of suppliers' business practices and procedures: 

• Contacting your supplier – including how and when you can get in touch, and the quality of self-service help online
• How well they deal with complaints – how many complaints suppliers get and how quickly they resolve them
• Supporting customers who need it – including web accessibility, those in vulnerable situations, in financial difficulty, who use prepayment meters, and those who need materials in languages besides English 
• Switching – how easy it is for customers to switch
• Smart meter targets performance in 2023 –the most recent figures available.

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

EDF performed below average in our supplier assessment, coming 9th, with a score of 62%. It was, however, one of the top-rated suppliers for its support of vulnerable customers, with a maximum 12 points out of 12, alongside Utilita, Octopus Energy and Co-op Energy.

On the other hand, EDF didn't do well on complaints performance; it scored just seven points out of a possible 15. 

EDF customer service  

Customers didn't feel overly positive or negative about EDF's customer service, it received a three-star rating in overall customer service. 

EDF did a little worse in our supplier assessment of its customer service, with five points out of 15. This was largly down to a lack of live chat and shorter phone line hours than some other suppliers. 

EDF common complaints

In our customer survey, 5% of respondents said they contacted EDF to make a complaint in the past year. 

Of the customers who made a complaint to EDF, the highest proportion (21%) complained about an incorrect bill or statement. 18% had a problem with their smart meter not working properly.

Can you join EDF with a prepayment meter?

Yes, EDF Energy accepts customers with both standard and smart pay-as-you-go meters.

• You can top-up standard prepayment meters at post offices, and PayPoint and Payzone outlets. 
• If you're a smart meter customer, you can top up remotely online or via EDF's app, as well as see how much you're spending and get alerts when credit is running low.
• All prepayment customers can get £10 of emergency credit when their balance falls below £1. It will then be taken off your credit the next time you top up.

Not sure if you should prepay? Find out: is prepayment energy is right for you.

How sustainable is EDF Energy?

Sustainability credentials are important when choosing an energy supplier for two thirds of those responsible for choosing their provider. That’s according to our online survey of 3,000 UK adults in August 2024.

So we factor in a range of sustainability criteria in our annual Which? Eco Provider assessment.

Here’s how EDF Energy fared:

• Proportion of renewable electricity sold to customers: 20.1%
• Generates renewable electricity using onshore and offshore wind. 
• Buys fossil fuel power from a combined gas cycle turbine and gas-fuelled plants which provides power on-demand to maintain grid stability.
• Offers time-of-use tariffs including discounted overnight EV rates, and tariffs with cheaper hours designed for heat pumps.
• Offers installation of solar PV, battery storage, heat pumps, insulation and EV chargers.

Find out more about the differences between energy companies renewable electricity, and find out how we assessed energy suppliers for sustainability.

Based on information supplied by companies in August 2024 and their most recent published fuel mixes, where available.

Making your home more energy efficient will save money on your bills in the long term and lower your carbon footprint. Get started with our guides to home energy efficiency.