Octopus Energy, Utility Warehouse and 100Green have been named as Which?Recommended Providers in the consumer champion’s annual energy firm survey. Meanwhile, some of the biggest firms, including British Gas, Scottish Power and Ovo Energy, found themselves at the bottom of the rankings.
The survey, conducted from September to October 2024, involved almost 12,000 energy customers. In addition to this, an in-depth assessment of 16 energy firms’ behind-the-scenes practices and policies was carried out to determine which energy firms are falling short and which are leading the competition.
British Gas, Ovo Energy, Scottish Power and So Energy all finished at the bottom of the rankings with overall scores of less than 60 per cent. British Gas, Ovo Energy and So Energy received the lowest overall score of 58 per cent, , reports the Daily Record.
Despite being one of the UK’s biggest suppliers, British Gas underperformed in Which?’s research. Its customer score of 61 per cent was below average, and it is one of only four brands that received just two stars for overall customer service in the customer satisfaction survey – it also received two stars for value for money.
In Which?’s behind-the-scenes assessment of supplier practices, British Gas also 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 Energy, now the third-largest energy provider in the UK, has been ranked at the bottom of Which?’s rankings. The company received a low customer score of 56 per cent, with survey respondents awarding it just two stars for overall customer service, value for money and communications.
In a behind-the-scenes assessment of supplier practices by Which?, Ovo Energy was criticised for its handling of customer complaints. So Energy performed better than British Gas and Ovo Energy in the customer satisfaction survey, receiving mostly three-star ratings and a customer score of 63 per cent.
However, it was marked down for failing to meet smart meter targets, switching and limited monitoring of phone lines and emails outside of working hours and weekends. Scottish Power scored slightly higher with an overall score of 59 per cent, but its customer score of 58 per cent was the second-lowest in the survey.
It only received two stars for overall customer service, ease of contact, value for money and customer communications. On the other end of the scale, three companies were crowned Which? Recommended Providers (WRPs), with Octopus Energy achieving the highest overall score of 74 per cent, earning it the WRP title for the eighth consecutive year.
Nearly nine out of 10 customers expressed satisfaction and said they would recommend it to others. It received mostly five-star ratings in the customer satisfaction survey, only dropping to four stars for value for money and customer communications.
In Which?’s behind-the-scenes evaluation of supplier practices, it scored maximum points for customer support. Utility Warehouse and 100Green were both named WRPs for the first time.
Utility Warehouse achieved the second-highest overall score of 73 per cent and performed well in both the customer satisfaction survey and the behind-the-scenes assessment of supplier practices. Customers particularly praised its overall customer service, awarding it five stars in this area.
Stuart Burnett, CEO of Utility Warehouse, commented on the Which? survey findings: “Being rated by Which? as a Recommended Provider is a huge milestone for us, and it’s great to see our efforts recognised like this. We’re proud to champion a better way by offering a real alternative to the status quo and providing a service which is built on putting people first”. 100Green achieved an overall score of 70 per cent.
It received the second-highest customer score of 76 per cent and five stars for overall customer service. It also performed well in most areas of Which?’s behind-the-scenes assessment of supplier practices, especially in handling customer complaints.
Over the past year, the stabilisation of energy prices has seen some fixed deals return to the market at rates slightly below the price cap. With the price cap expected to rise slightly in April, consumers could save by switching to a fixed deal over the next six months.
With many offers at similar price points, exceptional customer service becomes a key differentiator for consumers choosing a new supplier. Which?research indicates significant disparity in the level of customer service provided by different firms.
Suppliers delivering subpar service should improve before losing customers to competitors offering better value and service. Emily Seymour, Energy Editor at Which?, commented: “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.”
She added, “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.”