Best and worst energy suppliers ranked from British Gas to OVO - see full list

19 January 2024 , 08:47

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Which? has revealed the best and worst energy suppliers (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Energy companies have been told to sort out their poor customer service, as many big names fell to the bottom of an annual ranking.

British Gas was at the very bottom of the Which? yearly survey, but Boost, Scottish Power, Ovo Energy, Shell Energy, EDF Energy and E.ON Next weren't far behind. On the flip side, Octopus Energy, Ecotricity and E (Gas & Electricity) got the highest scores from customers. Over 9,000 energy users were asked their opinions in October for this yearly satisfaction survey.

Octopus Energy came out on top with a score of 73% and was the only company to get a five-star rating for overall customer service. Ecotricity and E (Gas & Electricity) also did well, scoring 72% and 71% respectively, and both received four stars for their overall customer service and how they communicate about energy costs.

This news comes at a time when households are dealing with a price cap of £1,928 a year for the average home, with prices expected to stay higher than they were before 2021 until the end of the decade. Which? has revealed that British Gas, Boost, Scottish Power, Ovo Energy, Shell Energy, EDF Energy, E.ON Next and British Gas all scored less than 60% in customer satisfaction. British Gas was named the worst performer overall by Which?, scoring just two stars for most categories including accessibility, value for money and accuracy of energy payments.

The full results from Which?

The consumer watchdog also found that a quarter of people who had contacted their energy firm in the last year to get help with a problem said the company had made it difficult. Which? policy and advocacy boss Rocio Concha said: "With energy prices still punishingly high and limited chances for consumers to save money by switching suppliers, good customer service is more important than ever. While Octopus Energy, Ecotricity and E were all named Which? Recommended Providers and scored highly for their customer service, others fell short of customers' expectations."

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"Which? is calling for any providers who are falling short on customer service to up their game and ensure customers are able to contact them easily and get the answers they need." An Ofgem spokesperson stated: "It is more important than ever that energy suppliers are there for their customers which is why we recently introduced a robust set of additional rules to drive up standards of customer service in crucial areas such as call waiting times and proactive outreach and support for customers who are struggling with debt."

"Suppliers must remember that customers who receive poor service can and will vote with their feet and take their business elsewhere. Over the past 12 months we have seen a rise in switching as competition slowly returns to the market. People should weigh up all the information, seek independent advice from trusted sources and consider what is most important for them whether that's the lowest price, the security of a fixed deal or a higher standard of customer service."

A spokesperson from British Gas said: "This survey is behind the curve and is based on data that is up to a year old. Since that period, we've targeted more than £25 million of investment on improving service and customers are seeing a difference this includes hiring 700 new contact centre agents and extending our opening times."

The spokesman added: "We continue to be focused on customer service and helping our most vulnerable customers through our sector leading £100 million customer support package.'' The survey was conducted by Which? with 9,025 energy customers in October 2023.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Lawrence Matheson