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Which is the worst major energy company?
Npower has once again come bottom of a new survey of customer complaints concerning the 'Big Six' energy companies.
Consumer Futures pulled together data about complaints from the Citizens Advice service, the Energy Ombudsman and Consumer Futures' own Extra Help Unit from July to September of this year.
SSE recorded the lowest levels of complaints.
Here's how the Big Six performed:
Energy company | Weighted ratio of complaints per 100,000 customers |
SSE | 32.3 |
Scottish Power | 46.2 |
British Gas | 55 |
E.ON | 61.8 |
EDF Energy | 74.2 |
npower | 253.1 |
As you can see, npower is bottom by quite a margin, with almost five times the level of complaints of SSE.
The table is compiled using a weighted ratio which assesses the seriousness of the complaint, and the time and effort the customer has to go to in order to get it resolved, for example by having to keep calling the company.
[Which energy suppliers are giving customers the biggest cuts?]
Another bottom of the table finish for npower
Last year npower was voted the UK’s worst energy supplier in an annual satisfaction survey by Which?
Fifteen suppliers across England, Scotland and Wales were ranked across a number of categories with scores out of five. Each supplier was given a final customer score based on the customer’s overall satisfaction and the likelihood they would recommend it to a friend.
At the bottom of the table we see a collection of some of the biggest names in the UK energy market – npower, EDF Energy, Scottish Power and British Gas – all scoring 50% or lower.
In contrast, it’s the smaller suppliers – the likes of Good Energy, Ecotricity, Ebico and Utility Warehouse – that come out on top. Here are the full results.
Supplier | Customer service | Value for money | Bills (accuracy and clarity) | Complaints | Helping you save energy | Customer score |
Good Energy | 5/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 85% |
Ecotricity | 5/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 80% |
Ebico | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | n/a | 4/5 | 76% |
Utility Warehouse | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 76% |
Ovo Energy | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 74% |
The Co-operative Energy | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 69% |
M&S Energy | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 63% |
Sainsbury’s Energy | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | n/a | 4/5 | 54% |
Scottish and Southern Energy | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 51% |
Eon | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 51% |
First Utility | 2/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 1/5 | 3/5 | 50% |
British Gas | 3/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 50% |
Scottish Power | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 50% |
EDF Energy | 2/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 46% |
npower | 2/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 39% |
The Big Six energy suppliers all perform pretty poorly in the study, with a top score of just 51%. Yet they account for a whopping 98% of the market.
In our own lovemoney Awards at the end of last year, the Big Six were conspicuous by their absence in our new Best Energy Supplier category, as M&S Energy picked up the overall award.
So if you aren’t happy with the service you are getting, look elsewhere!
[Fed up with your energy supplier? See if you can save by switching]
