UK Energy AI Visibility Report
British Gas dominates — but has zero visibility on informational and recommendation queries. How British Gas, Octopus Energy, OVO Energy and EDF Energy appear in ChatGPT and Gemini in August 2026, measured with real query data, not surveys or estimates.
Executive Summary
In August 2026, British Gas dominates the UK energy AI visibility landscape with a share of voice of 35.2% across ChatGPT and Gemini. The nearest competitor, Octopus Energy, trails at 13.5% — a gap of nearly 22 percentage points. British Gas achieves perfect visibility on navigational queries (100%) and strong performance on comparison queries (70%), but has zero visibility on informational and recommendation queries.
The findings come from 40 consumer-intent prompts run through ChatGPT and Gemini — tracking which energy brands AI assistants mention, recommend and cite when users ask about electricity tariffs, boilers, boiler cover, EV tariffs and home services.
Critical finding: British Gas has zero visibility on informational queries — the query type where users research energy products from scratch. This represents a significant gap in the awareness stage of AI-driven customer journeys, despite dominating branded and comparison queries. The same gap applies to recommendation queries, where users ask AI assistants who to choose for a new boiler, boiler cover, or energy tariff.
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Overall Rankings — August 2026
British Gas leads by a wide margin, with Octopus Energy a distant second. The 21.7pp gap is the largest between first and second place of any sector we've analysed in 2026. EDF Energy has negligible visibility at 3.5% SoV.
| Rank | Brand | SoV | Mention Rate | Citations | Primary Rec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | British Gas ★ Dominant | 35.2% | 38% | 38% | 30% |
| 2 | Octopus Energy Distant 2nd | 13.5% | 15% | 15% | 10% |
| 3 | OVO Energy | 9.5% | 13% | 13% | 3% |
| 4 | EDF Energy Near-zero | 3.5% | 5% | 5% | 0% |
Source: UltraScout AI platform — 40 queries across ChatGPT and Gemini, August 2026. ■ ChatGPT ■ Gemini per platform.
Key Findings
British Gas dominates the sector. At 35.2% Share of Voice, British Gas has more than double the visibility of all other brands combined (Octopus 13.5% + OVO 9.5% + EDF 3.5% = 26.5%). The 21.7pp lead over Octopus Energy is substantial.
Gemini is British Gas's strongest platform. Gemini mentions British Gas in 50.0% of queries, with a 45.0% primary rate. ChatGPT mentions British Gas in 25.0% of queries with a 15.0% primary rate. British Gas performs twice as well on Gemini as on ChatGPT.
Zero visibility on informational queries. British Gas appears in 0% of informational queries — users asking "what is an EV tariff?" or "do I actually need boiler cover?" The brand is completely absent from the awareness stage of AI-driven customer journeys.
Zero visibility on recommendation queries. British Gas appears in 0% of recommendation queries — users asking "who should I use for a new boiler installation?" or "which boiler cover is best?" These are the highest-value queries in the customer journey and British Gas is absent from all of them.
Navigational queries are perfect. British Gas achieves 100% visibility on branded navigational queries ("What's the current Fix & Fall electricity price?", "British Gas HomeCare boiler cover"). AI assistants reliably surface British Gas when users search directly for the brand.
Comparison queries are strong. British Gas appears in 70% of comparison queries ("British Gas vs Octopus"). It wins the majority of these comparisons, being recommended over competitors in most cases — a clear signal that AI-indexed comparison content is working.
2 high-value gaps identified. British Gas is missing from queries comparing Octopus vs OVO for electricity tariffs. These are specific queries where competitors appear and British Gas does not — representing direct missed opportunities to enter competitor consideration.
Sentiment is uniformly neutral. All four brands score 5.0/10. AI assistants are providing balanced, comparative responses rather than enthusiastic endorsements — creating an even playing field where visibility matters more than sentiment.
Why This Matters for British Gas
- Existing customers: British Gas is visible when customers search directly (100% navigational visibility)
- New customers: British Gas is invisible when customers research from scratch (0% informational visibility)
- The opportunity: Closing the 2 gaps and building informational/recommendation content would complete the AI customer journey
Platform Breakdown — ChatGPT vs Gemini
British Gas performs significantly better on Gemini than ChatGPT. The platform divergence suggests different content strategies may be needed for each AI assistant.
| Platform | British Gas Mention | British Gas Primary | Platform Signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 25.0% | 15.0% | Weaker — competitive comparison content required |
| Gemini | 50.0% | 45.0% | Strong — maintain and extend through structured data |
AI Conversion Funnel — Mentioned → Cited → Primary Rec
British Gas converts mentions to primary recommendations at high rates: Gemini converts at 90%, ChatGPT at 80%. The funnel shows no drop-off between mention and citation — AI assistants are citing British Gas whenever they mention it.
Platform Strategy Implication
One brand. Two platforms. Two very different results.
British Gas performs twice as well on Gemini as on ChatGPT. This divergence signals that platform-specific content strategies are essential — what surfaces on one AI assistant does not automatically surface on another. UltraScout AI tracks all platforms independently and generates platform-targeted content to close the gaps.
Intent-Based Visibility — August 2026
British Gas's visibility varies dramatically by what users are asking. Navigational queries are perfect (100%). Comparison queries are strong (70%). Informational and recommendation queries are zero — a 100 percentage point gap between best and worst intent categories.
| Intent Type | British Gas | Octopus Energy | OVO Energy | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navigational | 100% | 50% | 50% | Perfect |
| Comparison | 70% | 40% | 40% | Strong |
| Transactional | 22% | — | — | Weak |
| Informational | 0% | — | — | Critical gap |
| Recommendation | 0% | — | — | Critical gap |
British Gas visibility by intent type vs competitors, August 2026. Source: UltraScout AI, 40 queries. Insight: Strongest on Navigational (100%). Gap detected: absent from Informational and Recommendation queries — untapped intents.
The core problem: British Gas wins branded and comparison queries but is completely absent from the awareness (informational) and decision (recommendation) stages. This means the brand is not capturing new customers who are researching energy products from scratch — a significant gap in the AI-driven customer journey that Octopus Energy and OVO Energy are well-positioned to exploit.
Topic Coverage by Platform
Boiler cover dominates British Gas's AI visibility with 6 total mentions across ChatGPT and Gemini — far ahead of any other topic. Other home services is a complete blind spot, with zero mentions across all platforms despite being a competitor opportunity.
| Topic | British Gas ★ | Octopus Energy | OVO Energy | EDF Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boiler cover | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Boilers | 3 | — | — | — |
| Electricity tariffs | 2 | 2 | — | — |
| Energy efficiency | 2 | — | 2 | — |
| Electricity | 1 | — | 2 | — |
| EV Tariff with Hive Power+ | 1 | — | — | — |
| Other home services | 0 | — | — | — |
Visibility Heatmap — Topic × Intent
The heatmap shows British Gas's visibility at the intersection of each topic and user intent type. Green (≥60%) indicates strong AI presence; yellow (30–59%) indicates partial coverage; red (<30%) indicates a gap.
| Topic | Informational | Navigational | Comparison | Recommendation | Transactional | Buying | Comparing | Researching |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boiler cover | — | 100% | — | — | — | 16.7% | 75% | 0% |
| Boilers | — | 100% | — | 0% | — | 25% | — | — |
| EV Tariff with Hive Power+ | — | — | — | — | — | 50% | — | 0% |
| Electricity | — | — | — | — | — | 25% | 0% | — |
| Electricity tariffs | — | — | — | — | — | — | 100% | — |
| Energy efficiency | — | — | — | — | — | — | 100% | — |
| Other home services | — | — | — | 0% | — | 0% | — | — |
Source: UltraScout AI Visibility Heatmap, August 2026. — = no queries in this combination.
Zero Coverage Gaps — 2 Missed Opportunities
British Gas is absent from 2 high-value queries where competitors appear. Only 2 gaps — but closing them would capture 100% of the AI-driven consideration in those query categories. At current trajectory, these gaps will compound as Octopus and OVO continue to capture AI-driven consideration in electricity tariff comparisons.
| Query Category | Example Query | Competitors Present |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity tariff comparison | "Octopus vs OVO for my electricity tariff?" | Octopus Energy, OVO Energy |
| Electricity tariff comparison | "Best electricity tariff — Octopus or OVO?" | Octopus Energy, OVO Energy |
Full gap list available to clients. Source: UltraScout AI gap analysis, August 2026.
Zero Coverage = Zero Pipeline
Zero Coverage = Zero Pipeline
Each gap represents customers choosing competitors because British Gas didn't appear in their AI search results. Closing both gaps requires targeted comparison content that introduces British Gas into competitor-to-competitor query results. UltraScout AI identifies the exact content required and generates it automatically.
Sentiment Analysis — Uniformly Neutral
All four energy brands receive neutral sentiment (5.0/10) from AI assistants. This indicates AI responses are balanced and comparative rather than enthusiastic endorsements.
| Brand | Sentiment Score | Category |
|---|---|---|
| British Gas | 5.0/10 | Neutral |
| Octopus Energy | 5.0/10 | Neutral |
| OVO Energy | 5.0/10 | Neutral |
| EDF Energy | 5.0/10 | Neutral |
Sentiment scoring based on LLM response tone analysis via UltraScout AI. Scale: 1 = highly negative, 10 = highly positive, 5 = neutral. Source: August 2026.
What this means: AI assistants are not giving positive endorsements to any UK energy brand. Responses are balanced — presenting pros and cons without recommending one brand over another. This levels the playing field, but also means brands must ensure their facts, features, and differentiators are accurately represented in AI training data. Visibility, not sentiment, is the differentiator in the energy sector.
Top Cited Sources
www.britishgas.co.uk is the most-cited domain with 9 citations — confirming AI assistants are pulling directly from British Gas's own content. Review sites (smartmoneypeople.com, ecohappy.co.uk, ratingfacts.com, trustpilot.com) account for 14 citations, meaning AI responses are heavily influenced by third-party reviews rather than official content alone.
Top 15 domains cited by ChatGPT and Gemini across 40 queries. ■ Review sites ■ Other ■ Wikipedia. Source: UltraScout AI, August 2026.
AI Response Sample
Below is an example of how ChatGPT responds to a navigational boiler query. The response is balanced — mentioning British Gas's strengths and weaknesses, citing review content from third-party sources.
British Gas is a prominent provider of boiler installation and maintenance services in the UK. Customer feedback on their boiler services presents a mixed picture, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement.
Positive aspects: Many customers commend British Gas engineers for their professionalism and the efficiency of installations. Reviews on Trustpilot note structured service visits and thorough checks.
Sources: smartmoneypeople.com, ecohappy.co.uk, www.trustpilot.com — as cited by ChatGPT
Broader Industry Context
The August findings reflect larger shifts in how UK consumers research energy decisions:
- Energy market volatility continues. With the Ofgem price cap and fluctuating wholesale prices, consumers increasingly use AI assistants to compare tariffs and understand energy costs before switching.
- AI visibility is becoming a customer acquisition channel. Consumers now use ChatGPT and Gemini to research energy tariffs, boiler cover options, and compare providers — often before visiting any brand website.
- Green energy differentiation matters. Octopus Energy's visibility (13.5% SoV) reflects its strong positioning on renewable energy and innovative tariffs, despite a smaller customer base than British Gas.
- Home services are a high-intent category. Boiler cover, boiler installation, and home services queries account for a significant portion of the data — indicating this is a category where AI assistants are frequently consulted at the decision stage.
- EDF's near-zero visibility is a warning signal. At 3.5% SoV and 0% primary rate, EDF Energy is effectively invisible in AI-driven customer journeys. Without corrective action, this gap will compound as AI becomes a primary research channel.
Methodology
This report is part of the State of AI Visibility 2026 series. Full query list and response excerpts available to clients. For methodology questions: [email protected]
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