Octopus Energy, Utility Warehouse and 100Green have been named the best energy providers in an annual survey by watchdog Which?
British Gas, Scottish Power and Ovo Energy languish at the bottom of the rankings, based on the experiences of almost 12,000 energy customers and the consumer group’s assessment of 16 firms’ practices and policies.
British Gas, Ovo Energy, Scottish Power and So Energy all achieved an overall score of less than 60%.
British Gas achieved a below-average customer score of 61% and was one of only four suppliers to receive just two stars for overall customer service.
It also received two stars for value for money, and performed poorly for the volume of customer complaints it received in the first half of 2024 and for how efficiently it resolved these complaints, for meeting its smart meter targets and for switching.
Ovo, now the third-largest energy provider in the UK, received the lowest customer score of 56%, with customers reporting negatively on its value for money and communication.
So Energy fared better than British Gas and Ovo Energy on customer satisfaction to achieve a score of 63% but rated poorly for meeting its smart meter targets, switching and limited monitoring of phone lines and emails outside working hours and the weekend.
Scottish Power scored marginally higher with an overall score of 59% but its 58% customer score was the second-lowest in the survey. It received only two stars for overall customer service, ease of contact, value for money and customer communications.
Octopus Energy achieved the highest overall score of 74%, with just under nine in 10 customers saying they were satisfied and would recommend it to others.
It scored maximum points for customer support in Which?’s behind-the-scenes assessment of supplier practices.
Utility Warehouse received the second-highest overall score of 73%, while 100Green received an overall score of 70%, the second-highest customer score of 76% and five stars for overall customer service.
The results come as fixed deals have started to return to the market, offering customers a greater choice of deals that are slightly lower than the price cap.
The price cap is currently forecast to increase by around 3% in April, with consumer groups urging households to consider switching to a fixed deal to limit costs.
Many deals hover around a similar price point, and Which? urged those considering switching to take a firm’s customer service into account.
Which? Energy editor Emily Seymour 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.
“If people are unhappy with their provider, we’d recommend shopping around to look for a cheaper deal and switching to a supplier with better customer service.”
An Ovo spokeswoman said: “We are disappointed with this result and continue to focus on ensuring we provide a great experience for all our customers.”
Centrica, which owns British Gas, said: “The Which? survey uses data going back as far as September 2023, but we note they have recognised that through our £140 million customer support package we provide additional support to those who need it most as well as our improvements in making it easier for customers to contact us.
“We’ve invested £50 million in customer service over the past 18 months and customers are seeing results.”
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