Shell Energy broadband review 2021

Shell Energy broadband - the Broadband Genie review

Shell Energy broadband speed

Shell Energy average download speeds vs BT, Sky, TalkTalk, and Virgin Media

No big surprises with the advertised speeds for Shell Energy broadband; like most providers it uses the Openreach (BT line) network so performance is similar to competing ISPs. The choice of 11Mb, 35Mb, or 63Mb download speeds will suit many households, but if you need a faster connection you’ll have to move to a different network, like Virgin Media.

Shell Energy broadband value for money

Shell Energy broadband cheapest package vs BT, Sky, TalkTalk, and Virgin Media

Shell Energy broadband fastest package vs BT, Sky, TalkTalk, and Virgin Media

Last checked July 2021. The prices displayed above are the initial contract cost for new customers; charges may increase after renewal. The cheapest price is the lowest monthly cost regardless of speed. The fastest price is the fastest service available on Broadband Genie for the lowest monthly cost.

Shell Energy’s prices are competitive. Its ADSL deals are usually among the very cheapest packages available, and its entry-level 35Mb fibre service is also extremely good value. The fastest Shell fibre deals are often beaten by competitors when looking at the monthly price, but look out for free gift voucher offers that significantly reduce its effective monthly cost.

Ready to buy? See the latest offers from Shell Energy Broadband below:

Shell Energy Superfast Fibre Broadband

• 35Mb/sec average speed
• FREE setup
• 18 month contract

£23.99per month

Go

Shell Energy Fast Broadband

• 11Mb/sec average speed
• FREE setup
• 18 month contract

£17.99per month

Go

Shell Energy broadband features and extras

Shell broadband deals aren’t bundled with lots of extras. Besides the free Wi-Fi router, you can use the Shell Go+ app to get 3% off petrol at Shell stations, plus other “personalised offers”. 

Shell Energy router

All deals include a free Wi-Fi router. For many existing customers this is the same model (Technicolor TG588V V2) supplied by First Utility. Unfortunately, this is quite outdated by current standards as it only offers 802.11n Wi-Fi and doesn’t support the faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi. It also lacks multiple antennas, which can improve the signal. It does have a USB connection for file and printer sharing, and there are four wired network ports, but they don’t support gigabit transfer speeds. 

However, Shell Energy is now supplying an improved model, the Technicolor DWA0120, to its fibre optic customers. This is a dual-band router that supports the faster 5Ghz 802.11ac standard alongside 2.4Ghz 802.11n. It also includes 4x gigabit network ports.

Shell Energy home phone

No inclusive calls are provided with Shell Energy deals, which is a good thing if you don’t often use the landline. If you do make calls on a regular basis then you can choose to add one of the following call packages:

• Evening & Weekend: £5. Inclusive evening and weekend calls to UK landlines and UK mobiles. 
• Anytime Plus: £9 Anytime calling to UK landlines and UK mobiles. 
• International Call Package: £6. 600 minutes to 40 international destinations, 75% discount to mobiles in those same destinations. 50% discount on calls to all other destinations. Only available with one of the above packages. 

Shell Energy broadband review conclusion

Our Shell Energy broadband rating: 3 / 5

We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to budget broadband nowadays, but Shell Energy stands out by offering some great value packages, especially if you take advantage of its frequent reward offers. 

But it is a budget provider and that is reflected in its packages. While cheap, Shell doesn’t provide the kind of extras you can find with other ISPs. Cheaper petrol is a nice bonus, but it’s only a small discount and you have to fill up at Shell. The bundled Wi-Fi router on fibre packages is good, but ADSL customers will receive an older model that doesn't support faster Wi-Fi standards that are now commonplace.

You should also be aware of the vague fair usage policy tucked away in the terms and conditions. While Shell says all its broadband packages are unlimited, it also states that it may “change your service” if you “place excessive bandwidth demands on the broadband service for continued periods”. There’s no explanation of what it considers excessive, and while it’s only likely to be an issue for a minority there are plenty of other packages which offer fully unlimited and unrestricted connectivity.

If you like what you hear, head to our Shell Energy deals page to start your switch.

More Broadband Genie ISP reviews

On Broadband Genie, you'll find reviews of almost every provider, not just Shell Energy. You can find them by following the links below: