Major energy suppliers ranked from best to worst based on complaints – how did YOURS do?

THE best and worst energy firms have been revealed – with British Gas and Octopus Energy coming out middle of the pack.

The latest Citizens Advice (CA) customer service rankings have been unveiled based on reports between October and December.

The largest 16 suppliers, who all have at least 25,000 customers, were scored based on the number of complaints submitted to Citizens Advice and Energy Ombudsman.

Average call centre wait times, the number of emails answered within two working days and average response times for messages on social media were all factored in.

The scores related to households solely in England.

Challenger energy firms Rebel Energy and So Energy came bottom of the list, with overall scores of 2.4 and 2.5 out of 5, respectively.

Utilita, which supplies energy to around 800,000 homes, came joint-second bottom in the rankings with a score of 2.5 out of 5.

Rebel Energy received 53 complaints per 10,000 customers between October and December last year, with the average call centre wait time at one minute and 42 seconds.

CA found almost 40% of customers had to wait more than two days to get a response to emails.

So Energy received 74.5 complaints per 10,000 customers in between October and December.

The average call centre wait time was just over two minutes with 73.5% of customers having emails responded to within two days.

Utilita received 94.7 complaints per 10,000 customers in the last three months of 2024.

But the average call centre wait time was lower than Rebel Energy and So Energy – one minute and 35 seconds.

Fewer than 7% of customers had to wait longer than two days to get a query response via email.

At the other end of the scale, Utility Warehouse topped the list with an overall customer score of 3.8 out of 5.

The firm received just 25.3 complaints per 10,000 customers and the average call centre wait time was one minute 14 seconds.

Over 99% of customers had emails responded to within two days as well.

Rob Harris, chief operating officer at Utility Warehouse, said: “We’re proud to be in our customers’ corner, and finishing top of the CAB Energy Supplier rankings for the second quarter in a row proves that commitment.

“It’s testament to our belief in the power of people helping people.

“Whether that’s partners helping their local communities or our customer service teams helping our customers, we put people first – and it shows.”

How did other firms fare?

Also featuring in the top three best-rated firms for customer complaints was Outfox the Market and Scottish Power.

Both these firms received overall ratings of 3.6 out 5, with all Outfox the Market's customers getting a response to email queries within two days between October and December.

Scottish Power's average call centre wait time was one minute and 25 seconds while less than 4% of customers had to wait over two days to get a response via email.

The UK's two biggest energy firms – Octopus Energy and British Gas – came out middle of the pack in CA's list.

British Gas scored an overall rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars while Octopus Energy bagged a 3.4 out of 5 star score.

British Gas received 81.3 complaints per 10,000 customers, with a one minute and 21 second call centre wait time.

CA also found it responded to 96.8% of customer emails within two days.

Meanwhile, Octopus Energy had 30.1 complaints per 10,000 customers in the final three months of last year.

The average call centre wait time was one minute and 25 seconds and just over 90% of customer emails were responded to within two days.

Flying Eze asked Utilita, So Energy and Rebel Energy to comment.

What energy bill help is available?

There's a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by.

If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.

This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.

If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don't think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.

Severalenergy firms have schemesavailable to customers struggling to cover their bills.

But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.

For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.

British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.

You don't need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.

EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.

Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).

The service helps support vulnerablehouseholds, such as those who are elderly or ill.

Some of the perks include being given advance warning ofblackouts, freegassafety checks and extra support if you're struggling.

Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

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