The UK’s biggest energy providers have been ranked from best to worst for customer service.
These include Ovo Energy, Octopus Energy, British Gas, EDF and E.ON Next.
According to the charity Citizens Advice, the ratings across the energy industry have improved this year, but three in five households are still served by suppliers that score below average.
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The research comes as more customers may be looking to switch energy suppliers and lock in a fixed price tariff due to the new energy price cap that came into effect on 1 October. Average energy bills increased 10% at the start of the month, with the average household on a variable tariff now paying £1,717 a year (compared to £1,568 a year under the July cap).
Citizens Advice said that customer service ratings between April and June this year had risen almost 13% since the start of 2024, marking a return to levels seen before the energy crisis. The average rating is now 3.07 stars out of five.
The charity has seen record numbers of people asking for help with energy bills this year.
“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,” said Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice.
It is renewing its call for Ofgem to introduce a Consumer Duty, a set of rules to give the regulator stronger powers to hold companies to account and set a higher bar for customer service. It says the energy sector lags behind others with higher customer satisfaction, such as banking. There is already a Consumer Duty for the financial sector.
Moriarty adds: "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.”
So, which are the best and worst energy suppliers for customer service? And how do you complain about rubbish service? Plus, if you want to find a better energy provider, our tips to help you switch.
Worst energy suppliers for customer service
Utilita has been named as the worst energy supplier for customer service in Citizens Advice’s league table, with a score of 1.86 stars out of five.
In the last rankings, for the first quarter of this year, Utilita came second to last, with a score of 2.08, but it has now sunk to the bottom of the table.
EDF Energy was bottom of the leaderboard last time, but is now second to last, with a score of 2.41.
Rebel Energy is the third worst out of the 15 energy firms, scoring 2.68 stars.
The charity compiles the table using information from the Citizens Advice consumer service, the Extra Help Unit, Energy Ombudsman and Energy UK.
A quarterly rating is given to all energy suppliers with more than 25,000 customers.
Best energy suppliers for customer service
At the other end of the table, Ecotricity has been crowned the best energy firm for customer service. It scored 3.77 stars.
Utility Warehouse and E (Gas and Electricity) come joint-second (3.42 stars) and Outfox the Market comes next with 3.29 stars.
| Energy firm | Stars out of five |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Row 15 - Cell 0 | Row 15 - Cell 1 |
Source: Citizens Advice. Refers to April to June 2024.
How can I make a complaint?
If you’re unhappy with your energy supplier, contact them and explain what you would like them to do to make it right.
They should have a complaints process on their website or on your energy bills that explains how to do this. They can also explain their complaints procedure if you contact them by phone.
If you want to send a letter or email, you can use the Citizens Advice energy complaints letter template.
Energy suppliers must try to fix any problems within eight weeks.
If this does not happen, or if you’re not happy with the response you have received, you can take your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.
This is a free and impartial service that helps resolve disputes between customers and energy firms.
How to switch energy supplier
First, check if you can switch from your supplier and if there are any fees. For example, you may be on a fixed energy tariff that has exit fees.
If you still want to move to a different energy provider, contact the new firm to switch. You can usually do this over the phone or on their website.
You don’t need to contact your current supplier and tell them you’re leaving, as your new supplier will do this for you.
You’ll have a 14 day ‘cooling-off’ period, during which you can cancel the switch without paying anything.
Remember to take a meter reading on the day of the transfer to give to your new supplier. This means they won’t charge you for energy used before the switch.
Suppliers have to complete customer switches within five working days (six if you enter into a contract after 5pm). If they fail to do so, they have to pay affected customers compensation of £30.
Should they fail to pay you the compensation, you can escalate your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.
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