What You Need to Know About SSE and EDF Energy
There’s so many energy suppliers currently operating in the UK market that knowing which one to go for can be tricky. If you’re thinking about switching to either SSE or EDF Energy, look no further than our comprehensive guide.
We compare all of the important elements like customer service, their efforts to go green and the range of tariffs on offer to help you make that crucial decision on switching.
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SSE vs EDF Energy: A little bit about them
SSE was acquired by the UK’s leading independent supplier, OVO Energy, in January 2020. The OVO Family, which also consists of Boost and Spark Energy, aims to provide clean, great-value gas and electricity to the almost 5 million UK households it currently serves. Along with energy, SSE customers can take advantage of additional services like broadband, phone and boiler cover.
EDF Energy was established in 2002 and is Britain’s biggest generator of zero-carbon electricity. They are investing plenty into safe nuclear power which they say is the most affordable source of low carbon energy for the UK. The company also owns 35 wind farms and encourages the take up of electric vehicles (EV) with a special tariff and leasing deals.
SSE vs EDF Energy: Green energy
Only the SSE Fix and Drive v2 and SSE Fix and Control v2 offer 100% renewable electricity but that doesn’t mean that they’re not committed to generating green energy. Their subsidiary SSE Renewables is the leading developer and operator of renewable energy in the UK and Ireland.
They have pledged to invest £7.5 billion in green, low carbon projects over the next few years which includes building a huge onshore wind farm on the Scottish isle of Shetland. The company also aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 “at the latest.”
Instead of 100% renewable electricity, EDF offers zero-carbon electricity as standard across all of their home tariffs. This means that there was no harmful CO2 produced in its generation which is still a huge positive in terms of helping the environment.
You may think that nuclear stations aren’t particularly green but EDF says that they play a key role in the production of this zero-carbon electricity and will for future generations. This supplier too has a subsidiary called EDF Renewables which has built wind and solar farms all across the UK.
SSE vs EDF Energy: Customer service
EDF has the impressive claim to the top position in our supplier table meaning customers can expect a high-quality, brilliantly reliable service. They have also earned an excellent four and a half star rating on Trustpilot which is based on over 12,000 reviews.
They do have a large help section available on their website which is clearly divided into sections like bills and payments and your meter and moving home. If you click on one of these sections, it will then expand into a list of commonly asked questions which is a really convenient feature.
SSE are our only other five-star rated supplier which means that they too offer a fantastic service. Like EDF, they also have an excellent rating on Trustpilot having been awarded an identical score of four and a half stars.
You will find a really in-depth online help section on SSE’s website which is laid out in a similar way to EDF’s. Simply click on the area you’d like assistance in and then choose from the extensive range of help pages which appear. One thing that’s really useful is the tool under their contact us section which allows you to find the exact number you need to call to solve your problem.
SSE vs EDF Energy: Energy tariffs
SSE currently offers five energy tariffs which are as follows:
SSE Fix and Drive v2
Not available for Pay-As-You-Go customers
Receive free electricity between midnight and 7AM and charge your vehicle at no extra cost.
- Fixed price for 12 months
- 100% renewable electricity
- Free smart meter installation
- You won't be charged exit fees
SSE Fix and Control v2
Not available for Pay-As-You-Go customers
Free Google Nest Thermostat E and Google Nest Hub
- Fixed price for 24 months
- 100% renewable electricity
- Free smart meter installation
SSE 1 Year Fix tariff v2
Not available to Pay-As-You-Go customers
- Fixed price for 12 months
- Free smart meter installation
- You won't be charged exit fees
SSE 2 Year Fix v4 tariff
Not available to Pay-As-You-Go customers
- Fixed price for 24 months
- You won't be charge exit fees
- Free smart meter installation
Standard tariff
Available to Pay-As-You-Go customers
- Your bill prices can fluctuate
- You won't be charged exit fees
There’s not a full list of tariffs available on EDF’s website. Instead, you can see the types of energy deals that they offer.
Easy Online
Online only account
- Tariff price is fixed
- Support available 24/7
- Manage everything online
Easy Online and Bundles
Bundle together energy with other services like boiler cover or smart home devices
Total Service
Full service energy tariffs
- Tariff price is fixed
- Support available 24/7
- You don't pay exit fees
Standard Variable
Prices will go up and down
- Support available 24/7
- You don't pay exit fees
- No specific end date
If you’d like to get a more accurate idea of the kind of tariffs available to you, simply click on the get a quote button and enter your details.
SSE vs EDF Energy: Additional services
Alongside energy, SSE customers can take advantage of two fibre broadband packages at 35Mbps and 63Mbps respectively. Both of these come with a free WiFi router, unlimited downloads and the price of line rental included. You can add evening and weekend, anytime and anytime plus phone packages to these too.
They have four options for heating and boiler cover, starting from just £4.95 a month, which we break down for you below. A boiler service and check up, electrical wiring cover and a new boiler installation service are also available.
| What's covered? | SSE Boiler Breakdown - £4.95 a month | SSE Heating Breakdown - £9.50 a month | SSE Boiler Cover - £20.45 a month | SSE Heating Cover - £23.95 a month |
| Boiler and controls | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Thermostat and programmer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Inclusive annual boiler service | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Initial system inspection | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Free boiler replacement | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Full central heating system | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Radiators and pipework | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Hot water cylinder | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Excess | £90 | £50 | £0 to £50 | £0-£50 |
If you’re looking to take another service with your energy SSE has created two energy bundles. They could help you save up to £50 and £100 respectively across 12 months!
- SSE Fix and Protect v2 tariff with heating breakdown cover
- SSE Fix and Protect v2 tariff with either unlimited fibre or unlimited fibre plus broadband.
EDF enables you to keep your boiler working as it should by offering you the ability to get it serviced, repaired or replaced. There’s also three insurance policies for your boiler and heating which starts from only £8.59 per month for their entry-level cover. That price includes parts and labour and gets you £500 toward a new boiler.
You can choose from a range of electric heating options like hybrid heat pumps and air source heat pumps which can help you reduce your carbon footprint. If you’re thinking about ditching the diesel and going for an environmentally-friendly electric vehicle there’s a great range of leasing deals available as well.
SSE vs EDF Energy: Verdict
Both SSE and EDF are reliable, highly-rated energy suppliers who each have a record of providing fantastic customer service and strong green credentials.
What will help sway your decision is the difference in the additional services that they provide. With its bundles and other essential home services like broadband and phone on offer, SSE is perfect for those who enjoy the convenience and simplicity of getting everything from the same supplier.
EDF on the other hand, will seem more attractive to those looking to purchase some form of electric heating or lease an EV alongside switching their energy.
Looking for other supplier comparisons? Why not check out our Octopus vs SSE articles to help you make your energy switch decision.
