Major energy supplier SELLS broadband branch, affecting 480,000 customers

A MAJOR energy supplier with 6.8 million customers has sold its broadband branch.

Octopus Energy has sold Shell Energy's broadband business to TalkTalk.

About 480,000 Shell broadband customers will switch to TalkTalk in the coming months.

It comes just months after Shell agreed to sell its domestic energy and broadband business to the utility last September.

At the time, Shell Energy provided domestic gas, power and broadband services to approximately two million customers.

A statement on the TalkTalk website reads: “Following reports, TalkTalk confirms that a vehicle controlled by TalkTalk's major shareholders has acquired Shell Energy's UK broadband customer base from Octopus Energy.

“Shell Energy Broadband has been a long-standing wholesale customer of TalkTalk, with services offered through the company's unique national network platform, and that relationship will now continue.”

In a statement released this week, an Octopus Energy spokesperson said: “The migration process will begin in the coming months.

“For now, customers must be patient; they will be contacted once their account is ready to move to TalkTalk's systems.

“Until the migration, Shell Energy Broadband customers will be served by the same teams as before.”