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Shell Energy ceased trading on 31 March 2024. Its customers were transferred to Octopus Energy under Ofgem's Supplier of Last Resort scheme. This page is kept as a historical record.

Founded 2019 About 1.4 million households at migration Coventry

Ceased trading · 31 March 2024

Shell Energy no longer supplies UK households

Acquired by Octopus Energy in December 2023 — Shell decided to exit the UK domestic energy retail market. All domestic accounts were migrated to Octopus. Customers were transferred to Octopus Energy under Ofgem's Supplier of Last Resort (SoLR) scheme. This page is kept as a historical record. Information presented below was accurate at the time of original publication.

Founded

2019

Years on the UK market

Customers

About 1.4 million households at migration

Households served

About

Who is Shell Energy?

Registered as Shell Energy Retail Limited, Shell Energy uses this legal name for Ofgem licence filings, contracts and any formal communications. The trading name customers see on bills is the shorter, more recognisable form.

The company is headquartered in Coventry, where it runs its senior management, customer operations and regulatory liaison with Ofgem.

Shell Energy was founded in 2019. The supplier operated under a domestic-supply licence until its closure, with a track record of customer service and billing publicly documented for the years it traded.

Shell Energy is part of the Octopus Energy Group (formerly Shell plc) group, which provides shared governance, financial backing and a broader pool of expertise in trading, hedging and regulatory work.

The company is regulated by Ofgem, the UK's energy regulator, and its complaint handling falls under the Energy Ombudsman alternative dispute resolution scheme.

Timeline

Shell Energy — key dates

A short timeline of the Shell Energy brand — founding, milestones, regulatory events and the closure that brought it to an end.

  1. 2008

    First Utility is founded as an independent UK energy supplier, pioneering smart meter rollouts.

  2. 2017

    Shell announces an agreement to acquire First Utility.

  3. 2018

    Shell completes the acquisition of First Utility.

  4. 2019

    First Utility is rebranded as Shell Energy Retail in March; Shell Energy takes over Green Star Energy in November.

  5. 2020

    Shell Energy serves around 900,000 households across the UK with 100% renewable electricity tariffs.

  6. 2023

    Octopus Energy announces acquisition of Shell Energy Retail in December.

  7. 2024

    Migration of all 1.4 million Shell Energy domestic customers to Octopus Energy completes by March.

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Common questions

Shell Energy — frequently asked questions

Acquired by Octopus Energy in December 2023 — Shell decided to exit the UK domestic energy retail market. All domestic accounts were migrated to Octopus.

Existing customers were transferred to Octopus Energy under Ofgem's Supplier of Last Resort (SoLR) scheme — supply was never interrupted.

Your supply has not been interrupted: under the SoLR scheme, your supply is automatically handed to the successor supplier. Log in to the successor's online portal as soon as possible to set up your account, confirm your bank details and download any final Shell Energy statements while the legacy website is still online.

You are not required to pay any exit fee to leave the deemed tariff. Once your account is set up, compare current deals through Selectra to find a cheaper plan that fits your usage.

Yes. Customer credit balances on accounts at the date of cessation are protected under Ofgem's SoLR scheme. The successor supplier (Octopus Energy) is required to honour your credit balance. Confirm the balance in writing within the first 30 days to avoid disputes later.

Yes — outstanding debts owed to Shell Energy transfer to the administrator of the company's estate, not the SoLR. You may receive a written demand for the outstanding amount from the administrators. Verify any demand against your final Shell Energy statement before paying.

You can complain about the conduct of Shell Energy (mis-selling, billing errors, customer service) to the Energy Ombudsman, even after the supplier has ceased trading. For complaints about the SoLR transfer itself (delays, incorrect tariff), the route is the same — Ombudsman first, then Ofgem.

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