THE country’s largest energy suppliers have been ranked from best to worst for customer satisfaction.
Consumer champion Which? ranked energy firms for customer service and if they are providing quick and effective solutions to customer problems.
Fresh analysis from the consumer champion finds that Scottish Power, Ovo Energy and British Gas were the worst offenders.
Off the back of this Which? is calling for the three suppliers to urgently improve their customer service.
Over the last six months, thousands of consumers have contacted Which? to share their experiences of shoddy customer service in sectors including energy, financial services, telecoms, and travel since the end of the pandemic.
Energy is currently the worst performing sector for customer service, according to Which?’s 2023 customer service survey.
In Which?’s 2023 customer service survey, a quarter (25%) said they were unhappy with their most recent customer service experience with their energy provider, the highest score across the energy, financial services, retail and telecoms sectors.
Where does your energy firm rank?
Scottish Power came bottom, receiving a satisfaction score of -13 out of a possible +100 for how long it took to get in touch with a person who could help and three for how long it took to get an answer to an issue or query.
One customer said that after being left on hold when trying to phone his supplier about a billing issue and then speaking to an agent who was unable to help, he suffered sleepless nights and anxiety over his unresolved billing problem.
Another said lived in fear of a visit from bailiffs after Scottish Power passed him from agent to agent and failed to fix an incorrect bill.
Ovo Energy followed close behind with a satisfaction score of -7 for how long it took to get in touch with a person who could help and seven for how long it took to get an answer to an issue or query.
One customer told how he decided to switch providers after Ovo staff were “rude” and unhelpful after he spent over 20 minutes waiting to speak to them about a billing issue.
Another customer who was wrongly billed for having a gas supply said: “Customer service is absolutely useless.
“It takes forever to get through on the phone, and then you can spend up to an hour talking to a customer service advisor.
“They work to a script. If the issue is complicated, it will never fit into the script.”
British Gas fared better with a satisfaction score of 16 for how long it took to get in touch with a person that could help and 23 for how long it took to get an answer to an issue or query.
But one British Gas customer told how she spent 43 hours on the phone and sent 24 emails trying to fix a billing issue for longer than a year.
However, its scores were still far below Octopus Energy, which performed best for quick and effective customer service – with a satisfaction score of 46 for how long it took to get in touch with a person who could help and 55 for how long it took to get an answer to an issue or query.
E.ON Next also performed relatively well, scoring 35 for how long it took to get in touch and 25 for how long it took to get a query answered.
Which? says the findings highlight just how dramatically the quality of customer service can vary between individual firms.
What energy bill help is available?
THERE’S a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you’re struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy firms have grant schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria varies depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £1,500.
British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill, and some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.
Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
What have the energy suppliers said?
ScottishPower said that it didn’t “recognise the results of this small-sample survey” and called them at odds with a larger study previously conducted by Citizens Advice.
OVO said that the findings are “unrepresentative of the typical service levels our teams work very hard to provide”.
British Gas said: “We’re investing over £50 million in customer service – this includes hiring 700 more UK based contact centre staff at the end of last year and introducing longer call centre opening times.
“We’re also helping our most vulnerable customers through our sector leading £140m customer support package.”
How do I complain about my energy supplier?
Similar to financial services firms, energy companies have to have a complaints procedure for customers to follow.
When you make a complaint, make sure you follow this so they have the information they need to resolve the issue.
Simply explain what the problem is and what you want your supplier to do about it.
Check your energy supplier’s website for an explanation on how to launch a complaint.
Energy suppliers have eight weeks to respond and come to a decision.
If it doesn’t or you’re not happy with the response, you can take the firm to the Energy Ombudsman.
The Energy Ombudsman may be able to help if you have a complaint about an energy or communications provider.
Before you can submit your complaint to it, you must have logged a formal complaint with your provider and worked with the firm to resolve it.
You must also have received a so-called deadlock letter, where the provider refers your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.
You can also complain if you haven’t had a satisfactory solution to your problem within eight weeks.
The Energy Ombudsman then bases its decision on the evidence you and the company submit.
If you choose to accept its decision, your supplier then has 28 days to comply.
The Ombudsman’s decisions are binding on the energy company.
If your supplier refuses to follow the instruction, the Ombudsman may get in touch with Ofgem to remedy the situation – but there’s no set time period for escalating issues to the regulator and it’s not up to the customer.
If an individual chooses not to accept the Ombudsman’s final decision, they lose the right to the resolution offer.
Customers still have the right to take their complaint further through the courts.
But remember this can be a costly and lengthy exercise, so it’s worth thinking carefully before taking this step.
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
