15 energy firms have been ranked from best to worst for their customer service (Image: PA)
Citizens Advice has put the spotlight on Britain’s energy suppliers, unveiling a ranking system that assesses customer service quality among both well-known and smaller firms. The charity’s investigation revealed a “sluggish improvement” in customer service standards within the energy sector.
Notably, some of the industry’s big players, such as Utilita and EDF, found themselves languishing at the lower end of the scale, with only Octopus Energy faring slightly better. Green energy provider Ecotricity topped the charts, outperforming giants like Ovo and Scottish Energy.
Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, commented: “We’re bracing ourselves for another challenging winter. Whilst suppliers’ customer service improved in the spring, firms need to continue upping their game to ensure people can access support in the colder months.”
“With energy debt at a record high and the removal of previous support packages, the government must also urgently introduce targeted bill support that reflects the realities of people’s energy needs.”
The charity’s findings, based on data from April to June, highlighted that a staggering 60 per cent of customers were serviced by companies scoring below average in the rankings, with an overall average rating of 3.07.
Here is the full list of energy firms’ customer service rankings:.
- Ecotricity – 3.77
- Utility Warehouse – 3.42
- E (Gas and Electricity) – 3.42
- Outfox The Market – 3.29
- ScottishPower – 3.27
- Ovo Energy – 3.27
- Good Energy – 3.22
- Co-operative Energy – 3.07
- E. on Next – 3.07
- So Energy – 3.05
- British Gas – 2.94
- Octopus Energy – 2.85
- Rebel Energy – 2.68.
- EDF Energy – 2.41.
- Utilita – 1.86.
This comes as industry regulator Ofgem is considering new rules to increase its power to hold companies accountable for their quality of customer service. An Ofgem spokesperson stated: “Energy consumers deserve an easy and reliable service from their supplier.”
“We’ve been working hard with the sector to drive up standards and create a more customer-centric energy future. This includes strengthening our procedures to take firmer action against suppliers when things go wrong and toughening up the rules around customer bills for greater accuracy.”
“It’s clear the work of government, regulator, consumer groups and suppliers is starting to make a difference and customer satisfaction is slowly rising. But there is lots more work to be done to ensure exceptional customer service is the norm across the board and the energy sector is among the best sectors for how customers are treated. We will use all the powers at our disposal to get there.”