Short opening hours, long wait times and difficulties getting help: Which? reveals common energy customer service fails
In October 2023, Which? surveyed over 9,000 energy customers to rate 16 suppliers and looked at the behind-the-scenes practices of 18 suppliers to find out what aggravates consumers most about customer service and what companies are doing about it.
The consumer champion found a common gripe for energy customers was short opening hours. One energy customer in Which?’s energy survey said: “They have been going out of their way to make it more difficult to contact them by telephone by reducing the hours of the day that they are open and the number of days a week that their call centres are open.”
Just six firms of the 18 in Which?’s October 2023 assessment had phone lines open 10 hours or longer during weekdays and only four firms had agents available over live chat outside of these hours.
At weekends, consumers could phone eight of the firms, but hours varied. Some firms would take calls all day on both Saturday and Sunday, while others opened for just four hours on Saturday morning.
Eight firms had live chat available in some capacity at weekends, mostly on Saturday. Just three firms were contactable via live chat on a Sunday, when researchers checked in October. Another common gripe was long waiting times.
Respondents to Which?’s October 2023 survey mentioned long waits on the phone, phone calls being cut off, long waits on live chat to speak to a real person and slow responses or no response to emails.
Other common issues were difficulties getting help and making a complaint. A quarter (26%) of people in Which?’s latest energy firm survey said they found it difficult to get help with their problem when they contacted their energy supplier about it and more than four in 10 (47%) of those who contacted their supplier to make a formal complaint in the last year said their provider made the process difficult.
Anne and Martin Hills had a smart meter installed by British Gas in August 2022 but it wasn’t correctly registered to their address. It took almost a year to get the issue sorted - involving several calls and web chats - but the smart meter is still not communicating and sending meter readings properly.
When Anne and Martin raised another formal complaint in December 2023, the agent logged it, then immediately closed it as apparently this is ‘policy’. They had to contact British Gas again to ensure the complaint was reopened, so it could be raised with the ombudsman if needed. In February 2024, their complaint was escalated to the Ombudsman.
Anne said: “It’s the little person trying to battle against a large corporation. It feels like being bullied. I have to steel myself every time I make contact. I’m able to fight this but not everyone can. All I want is to know I’m paying the right amount for the energy that I use.”
With high energy bills one of the biggest factors in the cost of living crisis, it is more crucial than ever that any energy firms that are falling short up their game and improve their customer service. Consumers should be able to easily contact companies and get the answers they need in the way that suits them best - whether that is speaking to a person over the phone or using social media.
While there has been little chance for consumers to save money by switching providers so far, the energy price cap is predicted to drop by around £300 a year for the typical household in April. Consumers can use Which? Switch Energy to keep an eye out for any good fixed deals which become available in the coming months.
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:
“From short opening hours to difficulties getting problems resolved, Which? has found that some energy firms have a whole host of customer service failings that are getting on their customers’ nerves.
“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.
“With energy prices falling in April, consumers can use switching services - like Which? Switch Energy - keep an eye out for any new fixed deals that might offer savings and a chance to move to a firm with better customer service.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Research
Which? surveyed 9,025 energy customers in October 2023 for its annual customer satisfaction survey. Fieldwork was carried out online by an online agency on behalf of Which?.
Link to full results here.
Right of reply
British Gas said it is investing heavily in customer service, which includes hiring 700 new contact centre agents and extending its opening times, and that it continues to be focused on helping its most vulnerable customers through its sector leading £140 million customer support package. It did not consider Which?'s survey to reflect the most up-to-date data.
About Which?
Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, here to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone. Our research gets to the heart of consumer issues, our advice is impartial, and our rigorous product tests lead to expert recommendations. We’re the independent consumer voice that influences politicians and lawmakers, investigates, holds businesses to account and makes change happen.
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