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The Big Six energy suppliers

The Big Six were the six large energy suppliers named by the Competition and Markets Authority in 2016: British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, npower, Scottish Power and SSE.

The full list

Still supplying households under the same owner 4

Four kept their household supply business into 2026; E.ON also bought npower's owner, innogy, in 2019.

• British Gas
• EDF Energy
• E.ON
• Scottish Power

Sold their household supply business 2

RWE's npower passed to E.ON in September 2019, and SSE sold its household business to OVO in January 2020, after their planned merger was called off.

• npower
• SSE

Questions

Who were the Big Six energy companies?

The Big Six were the six large energy suppliers named by the Competition and Markets Authority in 2016: British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, npower, Scottish Power and SSE.

Which companies are on the list?

British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, Scottish Power, npower and SSE.

What is an easy way to remember them?

British Gas, two with Scottish names (Scottish Power, SSE), two German (E.ON, RWE npower) and one French (EDF).

More lists

Each name checked against at least two sources, one of them Competition and Markets Authority - Energy market investigation: final report, on 3 October 2026. Next review by 4 January 2027.
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