While Shell Energy has only been around as a brand since March 2019, prior to this date the company was known as First Utility. First Utility was acquired by Shell in February 2018, having previously enjoyed a relationship through First Utility’s primary interest in the energy and utilities sector.
Broadband was a secondary product offered by First Utility, and the service has continued to be offered by Shell Energy since the acquisition and subsequent rebranding.
First Utility previously had a reputation as a good provider of budget broadband services, and through the years became a popular service provider, albeit without having a huge share of the market. Shell Energy has continued offering the same packages that First Utility previously provided.
Shell Energy broadband bills itself as “A broadband deal you can vouch for”.
How does it stack up against others in the market?
What Broadband Speeds Does Shell Energy Offer?
Consumers in the UK typically consider several factors when choosing a broadband service. A combination of both speed and price tend to come under consideration, while many consumers will take out a broadband package linked to another service, most commonly a TV subscription although they may get offered deals from a mobile phone provider or another source.
As Shell Energy is an energy company with broadband as a secondary product, they don’t offer bundle deals as they don’t have a TV or mobile phone service to bundle broadband to. There is nothing on their website which suggests the company offers broadband discounts to Shell Energy gas and electricity customers, either.
The broadband speeds offered by shell are highlighted in the table below.
Package | Advertised Average Soeed |
---|---|
Fast Broadband | 11MB |
Superfast Fibre Broadband | 35MB |
Superfast Fibre Plus Broadband | 63MB |
Shell Energy have not to date announced any plans to move into or begin offering ultrafast broadband packages at speeds of 100MB and above.
Shell Energy Broadband Speeds
Due to a ruling from the Advertising Standards Authority that came into effect in May 2018, internet service providers (ISP’s) in the United Kingdom are now required to advertise average speeds on the basis of what at least half of their customers can receive at peak times. Prior to this ruling, ISP’s could advertise higher headline speeds, so long as only 10% of customers were being provided with such a speed.
Although this ruling means the advertised speeds you see when looking for your ideal broadband package are more accurate, the speed you can receive, and use, depends on several variables. Use a broadband speed checker to get an even more accurate idea of the internet speeds you can expect to receive, from Shell Energy broadband or any other provider.
How Does Shell Energy’s Average Speeds Compare with Others?
As of February 2020, the latest research from Ofcom had been conducted in November 2018 and published in May 2019. That research did not include Shell Energy, so at present there are no sources of valid performance comparison data for Shell Energy broadband.
If you’re currently with another broadband provider, then you can check your current speed with a speed checker and compare how Shell Energy broadband says they would perform against this.
Shell Energy Broadband Offers and Deals
At present, Shell Energy broadband offers packages at the three speeds highlighted in the table above. Shell Energy also offers incentives and is currently offering an Amazon gift card to a value of £25, £50, or £75 depending on the specific broadband package you take out.
While there is a minimum contract of 18-months on Shell Energy broadband packages, unlike with most other ISP’s in the market the price does not increase at the end of the contract. Shell Energy broadband also incurs no upfront or activation fees. This is great from a pricing perspective, but if Shell Energy broadband doesn’t deliver what it says it will or you’re not happy with the service you’re locked in for a significant period.
The table below summarises the current offers and deals available on the Shell Energy broadband website.
Shell energy Broadband Package | Advertised Average Speed | Price (Fixed 18 Month Contract) | Free Gift |
---|---|---|---|
Fast Broadband | 11MB | £19.99 per month | £25 Amazon Gift Card |
Superfast Fibre Broadband | 35MB | £24.99 per month | £50 Amazon Gift Card |
Superfast Fibre Plus Broadband | 63MB | £34.99 per month | £75 Amazon Gift Card |
Shell Energy Broadband Pricing vs Competitors
Let’s look at how Shell Energy broadband’s pricing compares to its competitors.
Shell Energy Fast Broadband 11MB Pricing vs Competitors
ISP | Package | Advertised Average Speed | Contract Term | Upfront Cost | Monthly Payment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plusnet | Unlimited | 10MB | 18 months | Free | £19.99 for 18 months, then £30.98 |
EE | Standard Broadband | 10MB | 18 months | Free | £20 a month for 18 months, then £32 |
BT | Broadband | 10MB | 24 months | £29.99 | £26.99 for 24 months, then £32.99 |
Shell Energy | Fast Broadband | 11MB | 18 months | Free | £19.99 |
Sky | Essential | 11MB | 18 months | £19.95 | £20 for 18 months, then £25 |
TalkTalk | Fast Broadband | 11MB | 24 months | Free | £19.95 for 24 months, then £30 |
Now | Brilliant Broadband | 11MB | 12 months | Free | £18 for 12 months, then £25.99 |
While Shell Energy broadband is not the cheapest ISP at the budget end of the market, their pricing reflects what the most competitive ISP’s typically offer for these broadband speeds.
Although Shell Energy broadband would be the cheapest ISP in the UK “out of contract”, most consumers would look to switch to another provider or get a further discount rather than paying the increased amount.
As such, while it would be unrealistic to say Shell Energy would be cheaper outright, there is an added element of convenience in not having to switch or call them up asking them to maintain their price.
Shell Energy Superfast Fibre Broadband 35MB Pricing vs Competitors
ISP | Package | Advertised Average Speed | Contract Term | Upfront Cost | Monthly Payment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shell Energy | Superfast Fibre Broadband | 35MB | 18 months | Free | £24.99 |
Plusnet | Unlimited Fibre | 36MB | 18 months | Free | £22.99 for 18 months, then £39.48 |
EE | Fibre | 36MB | 18 months | Free | £24 for 18 months, then £37 |
Now Broadband | Fab Fibre | 36MB | 12 months | Free | £25 a month for 12 months, then £35.99 |
BT | Superfast Fibre Essential | 36MB | 24 months | £9.99 | £27.99 a month for 24 months, then £32.99 |
TalkTalk | Faster Fibre | 38MB | 24 months | Free | £22.45 for 24 months, then £36 |
The same rings true for Shell Energy broadband at 35MB as at 10MB.
They’re not the cheapest, but they’re in the same ballpark as the other ISP’s, albeit while advertising a slower speed. Ofcom’s consumer testing of other ISP’s found that none of them hit their advertised average speed at this tier of the market anyway, so you probably shouldn’t read too much into Shell Energy broadband advertising a lower speed. If anything, their advertised average speed may be more accurate!
We’ve included a table highlighting how the other ISP’s performed in Ofcom’s speed tests below.
ISP | Advertised Average Speed | Performance range over a 24-hour period | Performance range at peak times (8pm – 10pm, weekdays) |
---|---|---|---|
Plusnet | 36MB | 31.4MB – 33.1MB | 31.0MB – 32.8MB |
EE | 36MB | 32.5MB – 34.8MB | 32.2MB – 34.5MB |
Sky/Now | 36MB | 32.3MB – 34.2MB | 32.0MB – 34.0MB |
BT | 36MB | 26.6MB – 29.2MB | 26.5MB – 29.0MB |
TalkTalk | 38MB | 31.6MB – 33.6MB | 31.4MB – 33.4MB |
Shell Energy Superfast Fibre Plus Broadband 63MB Pricing vs Competitors
ISP | Advertised Average Speed | Advertised Average Speed | Contract Term | Upfront Cost | Monthly Payment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sky | Broadband Superfast | 59MB | 18 months | £19.95 | £27 for 18 months, then £32 |
Shell Energy | Superfast Fibre Plus Broadband | 63MB | 18 months | Free | £34.99 |
Now | Super Fibre | 63MB | 12 months | Free | £30 a month for 12 months, then £43.99 |
Plusnet | Unlimited Fibre Extra + Line only | 66MB | 18 months | Free | £26.99 for 18 months, then £40.98 |
TalkTalk | Superfast Fibre | 67MB | 24 months | Free | £24.95 for 24 months, then £41 |
EE | Fibre Plus | 67MB | 18 months | Free | £28 for 18 months, then £42 |
BT | Superfast Fibre 2 | 67MB | 24 months | £9.99 | £34.99 for 24 months, then £47.99 |
Shell Energy broadband’s position in the market for its pricing changes dramatically at this tier, becoming the most expensive provider alongside BT. The only potential benefit of using Shell Energy is that you’d be getting cheaper broadband with them than anyone other than Sky after 18 months, but again most people would change or ensure they still receive their services at a discounted rate.
Like the 35MB tier, there is no performance comparison data for Shell Energy broadband, but none of the ISP’s, except for Sky who advertise a lower average speed, hit the speeds they said they did. Comparison data for the other ISP’s included in Ofcom’s research is featured in the table below.
ISP | Advertised Average Speed | Performance range over a 24-hour period | Performance range at peak times (8pm – 10pm, weekdays) |
---|---|---|---|
Sky | 59MB | 56.3MB – 61.0MB | 55.9MB – 60.7MB |
Plusnet | 66MB | 58.0MB – 61.4MB | 57.6MB – 61.0MB |
BT | 67MB | 62.4MB – 64.6MB | 62.1MB – 64.3MB |
TalkTalk | 67MB | 61.0MB – 64.5MB | 60.5MB – 64.1MB |
EE | 67MB | 60.0MB – 64.9MB | 59.4MB – 64.5MB |
How Does Shell Energy Broadband’s Pricing Compare Overall?
Shell Energy broadband’s pricing is generally competitive but does not stand out in the UK ISP market.
As we have mentioned when looking at individual tiers, there is a potential benefit in that the service price does not increase at the end of the fixed contract term, but as it is common for consumers to switch or negotiate a continued discount with their ISP it is unlikely that, in real terms, this is an effective selling point.
Shell Energy broadband was uncompetitive at its highest superfast tier, although this is unsurprising as it is likely they are focused on the budget end of the market, where they are more likely to be able to deliver what they advertise.
Shell Energy Broadband Customer Service Performance
Reviews of Shell Energy are available on Trustpilot, although these are based on reviews of all Shell Energy products and services rather than solely broadband. However, their score is currently 3.8 out of 5 with some good reports on the broadband side of things.
Shell Energy can be contacted via Twitter for customer service issues, while the Shell Energy website also features a wealth of resources and advice in its Help section. Customers can also access an automated live chat function which can help you to access solutions to broadband problems.
Summing Up Shell Energy Broadband
Shell Energy broadband offers a good range of broadband packages, an Amazon gift card and middle of the road speeds and deals. If you need an all in one package, including TV and Phone, then we would recommend using our broadband comparison tool to get the best all in one deal.