Consumer group Which? questioned almost 12,000 people on how they would rate their energy firm on everything from value for money to dealing with complaints
How energy firms deal with billing issues was included in research (Image: Getty Images)
Scottish Power has been ranked Britain’s worst energy supplier in new research.
The company was rated lowly for complaints handling, and middle-of-the-road in most other areas. But it was not alone among industry big guns named and shamed in analysis by consumer group Which?, with rivals EDF Energy and British Gas joining it in the bottom three.
Which? surveyed nearly 12,000 energy customers for its annual customer satisfaction survey. In addition, it carried out an assessment of 17 energy firms’ behind-the-scenes practices and policies.
Scottish Power was judged second lowest of all the firms by customers, where it got 62%, and an overall bottom score of 56% after Which? included other measures. Among those, it was given just four out of a possible 15 for complaint handling. The firm was also marked down among the 780 customers included for everything from accuracy of bills and ease of getting in contact to value for money.
EDF Energy only managed slightly better, with an overall score of 58%. It received the lowest score when it came to contacting the supplier, largely because its phone lines and customer service email accounts are not monitored for as long as other providers, according to Which? British Gas scored 59% overall, and was rated particularly poorly for complaint handling.
At the other end of the scale was less known supplier E, after it was given an overall score of 79%. The Birmingham-based company, which says it now has more than 300,000 customers, boasts that it does not impose penalty fees if locked-in customers want to switch, unlike most of its rivals. It was rated highly for everything for ease of contacting to clarity of its statements, although it was based on feedback from only 92 customers.
Octopus Energy, which has grown rapidly to become the UK’s biggest energy supplier, was second with a score of 74%. The two companies – along with two other suppliers, 100Green and Sainsbury’s Energy – were crowned Which? Recommended Providers.
Emily Seymour, Which? Energy Editor, said: “Our research shows that while four suppliers are outshining the competition, some big firms – including Scottish Power, EDF and British Gas – are letting their customers down. With fixed tariffs now reliably cheaper than the energy price cap, there is no need for customers to put up with poor value for money or shoddy customer service. Any suppliers falling short need to improve or their customers will vote with their feet.
“Anyone who is unhappy with their provider should shop around and move to a supplier with a cheaper fixed tariff and better customer service.”
A spokesperson for ScottishPower said: “The independent Citizens Advice scorecard is the customer service gold standard with a much more robust and transparent methodology used to assess firms’ performance. It shows sustained, high-quality delivery for our customers, reflecting the huge investments we’ve made improving and enhancing our service – also highlighted by customers themselves in the Which? survey. We will continue to work tirelessly every day to deliver fast, efficient, and helpful support to our customers.”
EDF said it was “committed to continuing to improve the service we provide to our customers. “While the research highlights areas where we need to go further, it also reflects strengths in how we support customers who need additional help.” It added: “We welcome Which?’s recognition of our comprehensive £140 million customer support package and the additional help we provide to those who need it most. By extending our call centre opening hours and launching a dedicated line for vulnerable customers—where 97% of calls are answered in under a minute —we’re proud to have been rated highly for ease of customer contact.
British Gas said its complaints had fallen over 20% each year for the past two years. It also cited regulator Ofgem’s latest customer satisfaction data, published in December, which shows British Gas achieved the second-highest overall satisfaction score among the main energy suppliers, at 81%. “We know there is always more to do, and we are continually looking at ways to make further improvements for our customers,” the firm added.