Major energy suppliers ranked best to worst as firms urged to ‘up their game’

MILLIONS of customers at some of Britain's biggest energy firms are receiving treatment that falls below expectations, according to research.

Thousands of households were asked how satisfied they are with their supplier by consumer group Which?.

At the same time, energy firms were assessed on their behind-the-scenes practices and policies to give an overall score. 

It comes as energy prices have stabilised with more fixed deals returning to the energy market, which sees customers tied into staying with a provider for a set amount of time.

With the energy price cap predicted to increase in April, switching to a fixed deal could well be the best way for consumers to cut costs over the next six months.

However, many deals are at a similar price point so customer service should be a major factor when deciding which supplier to switch to.

The top rated firms were Octopus Energy, Utility Warehouse and 100Green.

On the other hand, some of the biggest and best-known firms including British Gas, Scottish Power and Ovo Energy were ranked worst with overall scores below 60%.

British Gas is one of the UK’s biggest suppliers but is failing customers, according to Which?’s research.

The firm's customer service was below average; in Which?’s assessment, the supplier performed poorly for the volume of customer complaints it received in the first half of 2024 and for how efficiently it resolved issues.

From September to October 2024, Which? surveyed almost 12,000 energy customers for its annual customer satisfaction survey.

Ovo Energy is now the third-largest energy provider in the UK but also came at the bottom of Which?’s rankings.

The supplier received the lowest customer score of 56% and also ranked poorly for its handling of customer complaints. 

So Energy had a customer score of 63% but fared poorly for meeting its smart meter targets, switching, and for its limited monitoring of phone lines and emails outside of working hours and weekends.

Scottish Power had an overall score of 59% and its customer score was the second-lowest in the survey.

The three top scoring suppliers have been crowned Which? Recommended Providers. 

Octopus Energy had the highest overall score of 74% with just under nine in 10 customers saying they were satisfied and would recommend the supplier to others.

In Which?’s behind-the-scenes assessment of supplier practices, it scored maximum points for customer support.  

Utility Warehouse received the second-highest overall score of 73% and performed well in both the customer satisfaction survey and behind-the-scenes assessment of supplier practices.

And 100Green received an overall score of 70% with the second-highest customer score and also performing well in most areas of Which?’s behind-the-scenes assessment of supplier practices.

Emily Seymour, Which? energy editor, said: “Our research shows that while some energy firms are powering ahead of the competition, others are letting down their customers badly - and that’s unacceptable for such a vital service. 

“Some big energy firms - including British Gas, Scottish Power and Ovo Energy - underperformed in our research.

"Any firms falling short urgently need to up their game to ensure they are providing the service and value for money that consumers rightly expect from their energy supplier."

A spokesperson for British Gas said: “The Which? survey uses data going back as far as September 2023, but we note they have recognised that through our £140m customer support package we provide additional support those who need it most as well as our improvements in making it easier for customers to contact us.

"We’ve invested £50m in customer service over the past 18 months and customers are seeing results.’’

What to do if you're not happy with your provider

If you are consistently unhappy with the service provided by your energy supplier one of the best things to do is vote with your feet.

Even better you'll likely be able to save cash. The average household still on a default tariff could save up to £79 a year on bills by fixing in, according to Uswitch. 

You can compare deals using a comparison site such as uswitch.com or moneysavingexpert.com.

You will need to give your address, current energy supplier, usage and how you wish to pay.

Then will be given a list of deals, you can cross-reference the best value suppliers with the list of best scoring providers above.

Choose a firm that is more highly ranked than your current provider.

Before switching, check if you have any exit fees and how long you will be tied in to the deal.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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