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19,000 complain to energy firms every day

19,000 complain to energy firms every day

19,000 complain to energy firms every day

Energy firms receive nearly 19,000 complaints every single day from angry customers.

Inaccurate charges and bills arriving late caused a huge increase in complaints with nearly 1.7 million protests logged against the six main energy suppliers in the first few months of this year.

Without usage figures bills can often be inaccurate and produces strange bill prices for customers. In other cases, direct debit payments are set too high with energy firms left sitting on millions of pounds of their customers' money.

One study suggested that more than half of households are in credit and could claim refunds of up to £1.2billion between them. One in five are owed more than £100.

The complaints figures which were produced by consumer group Which? show that German-owned Npower had the worst record with an average of just over 83 objections per 1,000 customers.


Complaints per 1,000 customers for the rest of the big six were 46 for EDF, 33 for E.on, 31 for British Gas, 28 for SSE and 14 for Scottish Power. Questions over the accuracy of direct debit and other payments were the biggest problem with British Gas, ahead of problems with bills and poor customer service.

The Competition and Markets Authority has signalled that it plans to hold a full-scale inquiry into the energy sector, which will look at all the big six.

'People will not feel able to trust energy suppliers again if firms cannot get their house in order and deliver decent customer service.' On Npower, she said: 'Things are getting worse not better for its customers.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said: ‘It is unacceptable that so many people have felt forced to complain to their energy supplier. 

‘Energy companies need to up their game - people are switching suppliers in unprecedented numbers, particularly to small suppliers whose numbers have nearly trebled since 2010.’