Energy company complaints

Problems with gas and electricity bills, smart meters and poor customer service are the most common issues we hear from energy customers.

Below we've set out the specific complaints we hear about most often, plus what you can do to help solve them. 

Get to know your rights, and learn what you can do to minimise the impact if you've experienced a problem with your energy supplier. 

Compare prices and contracts with our free energy comparison tool or find out how to get the best energy deal.

1. My energy direct debit changed unexpectedly

If you pay for energy by direct debit, you pay a fixed amount to your supplier each month (or quarter). This isn't the same as your bill, which reflects the actual amount of energy you use, and will be deducted from the balance on your energy account. 

To work out what to charge you each month, energy firms estimate how much they think you will use over the year. They divide this by 12 (or four) to determine your monthly (or quarterly) direct debit amount. 

Over the summer, you might pay for more than you use and end up in credit. But this typically balances out when your energy use increases over the winter months. 

Your energy supplier might up your direct debit if you're using more energy than they estimated, or the rates of your tariff change. This happens when:

• You change energy tariff
• The energy price cap changes (if you're on an out-of-contract variable tariff).

Your energy supplier should tell you if it is increasing your direct debit and explain why.

What to do:

1. Check that your supplier isn't using estimated meter readings (look at a recent statement - it should say if your meter readings are actual, estimated (or smart, if you have a smart meter).
2. Submit regular (at least monthly) meter readings so your supplier has an accurate picture of your energy use. Smart meters do this automatically and more frequently, if working correctly.
3. Challenge your supplier if you think your direct debit is too high (or low) each month based on your average usage over the year (here's how to estimate your energy use). Aim to have no more than three months' worth of payments in your account.
4. Check if you can change your direct debit yourself. Some firms let you do this in your app or online account. But bear in mind that paying for less energy than you're using will mean you might need to increase your payments again in future.

Feeling the pinch with energy bills? Read our tips to cut your energy costs or how to get help if you're struggling to pay your energy bill.

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2. I think my energy bill is wrong

We sometimes hear from people whose bills feel much higher (or lower) than expected. 

If you haven't had an energy bill in over a year, energy regulator Ofgem's back-billing rules might apply. They suggest that customers can't be billed for energy used more than 12 months previously if they haven't had a bill for energy use, despite asking for one. The rule is meant to protect customers from getting a huge bill in one go. 

What to do:

1. Check that your supplier is basing your bill on actual meter readings (look at a recent statement) and submit meter readings at least monthly if you aren't already.
2. Check the reading on your meter and the latest reading in your online account, app or latest statement. Contact your supplier if there's a big difference.
3. Check if there is a mistake in your tariff: look at your statement to see if the tariff name, unit rate and daily standing charge are what you expect (check back for info about your tariff when you signed up).
4. Check that you are being charged for the correct gas meter: compare the Meter Point Reference Numnber (MPRN) on your bill with the MPRN registered to your address. If they don't match, tell your gas supplier.
5. Check that you are being charged for the correct electricity meter: compare the Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) on your bill with the MPAN registered to your address. Follow instructions from Citizens Advice for how to do this. If they don't match, contact your supplier for that fuel.
6. Once you have your evidence, contact your supplier to investigate the problem further.

If you ask your supplier to investigate a problem with your meter, they have five working days to:

• Investigate the problem
• Take action to fix it
• Offer to confirm everything in writing, including what they've done to investigate, what they'll do to fix it , and how long it will take.

If they don't do all of these in time, they owe you £40 compensation within 10 working days.

If you think your meter isn't working correctly or has a fault, keep reading for more tips.

 Find out how to complain about your electricity, gas or energy bill, and a letter template to complain if your energy supplier overcharges you.

3. My smart meter isn't working

The first thing to establish is which of the following is having the problem:

• Your smart meter, which records your electricity/ gas use. They're usually on an outside wall of your property, sometimes accessed under the stairs, or in a kitchen cupboard. 
• Your smart meter monitor. Also called an in-home display, this is the handheld digital monitor that shows your energy use and how much it's costing.

It's an important distinction because the monitor may stop working while the smart meter itself continues to work fine, recording your gas and electricity use as usual. Though it can be very frustrating.

Our dedicated page on smart meter problems and how to solve them sets out what to do if:

• your smart meter monitor is not working
• your energy supplier isn't getting smart meter readings
• your energy supplier's app or online accoutn doesn't show your smart meter data
• your smart meter and solar panels aren't working well together.

If you rely on your smart meter to charge you correctly for a time-of-use (TOU) tariff, there's a risk that your supplier will struggle to bill your accurately for the period while your smart meter was out of action.

Alert your supplier as soon as you notice a problem with your smart meter if you have a smart TOU tariff. 

If possible, we're recommend taking your own manual meter readings as much as it is possible to do so and uploading them to your account, plus keeping a personal record, to minimise the risk of inaccurate bills.

If you report a problem with your smart meter, your supplier must tell you how it plans to resolve it within five working days. If it doesn't, if owes you £40 compensation, which should by paid automatically.

Find out more about smart meters and time of use tariffs.

4. I think my electric meter or gas meter is faulty

If you suspect your meter is faulty, record regular meter readings to help prove your case. If you have a smart meter taking daily meter readings then you might be able to track your usage in your online accout or app.

Gas meters approved under UK law must be within 2% accurate and electricity meters within +2.5% and -3.5% accurate.

What to do:

If you suspect your electricity meter is faulty:

• Turn off all the appliances in your home and check if your meter is still registering electricity use. 
• If it stops, turn on one appliance at a time. If the meter suddenly logs high electricity use, the appliance could be faulty.

If you suspect your gas meter is faulty:

• Look at whether it is registering gas use when you know all gas appliances are off. 
• If so, you might have a gas leak - report it immediately to the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. 

If you have a smart meter, you can use your in-home display (IHD) to help check your near real-time energy use. It isn’t a fool-proof way of checking meter accuracy, but it can be a helpful guide if you already have suspicions.

Contact your energy supplier if you think your meter is faulty. It has a legal obligation to ensure all gas and electricity meters are accurate, so they must investigate.

Your supplier might ask you to do some checks on your meter. It might install a second or 'check' meter or carry out tests on your meter. Suppliers might ask you to pay for these tests if your meter is found to be accurate. Check you're happy with the costs before you agree to any testing.

If you're having a problem with your payg energy meter, check our dedicated prepayment energy meters page.

5. I've had poor customer service from my energy supplier

Whatever the root cause of a problem, prompt and satisfactory responses from a supplier can make all the difference. Unfortunately, we often hear about sub-par customer service which can be exacerbated when an energy customer is in a vulnerable situation. 

What to do:

1. Choose the best contact option for you (some firms offer a choice between email, phone, online chat, social media etc). Set out your question or problem concisely and clearly, providing the necessary details for your supplier to investigate.
2. Don't be fobbed off by an initial rebuttal. Be polite but firm, keep records of all correspondence – including any phone calls – and escalate your complaint if necessary. 
3. Look to get help if you're in a vulnerable position. Ofgem's Consumer Vulnerability Strategy outlines how energy companies should identify and treat customers in vulnerable situations. Tell your provider if you feel that your household should be on the Priority Services Register, so you can get extra advice and support. 
4. Consider putting accounts in joint names. If you're married or in a partnership, adding the other person's name to your account can help things go more smoothly if they need to access the account if you're not able to. 
5. If you need to complain about your energy supplier, follow its official process (see below)
6. If you're not getting good service, switch to a provider with a better customer service record. 

See the best energy providers plus what it takes for an energy company to be a Which? Recommended Provider.

6. Switching energy supplier has gone wrong

If your energy supplier has been switched without your permission, your supply won't be cut off and there are rules that protect you. Sometimes the first customer hear is a surprise welcome email from a different energy firm, or a final bill from their current firm. 

If you've tried to switch supplier and it has been refused, or taken a long time, it's worth checking what has happened.

What to do:

If you didn't plan to switch energy supplier:

1. Contact either your old supplier or your new one (depending on whether you have been switched yet). Phoning or using live chat is usually quickest.
2. Tell them you didn't agree to the switch and ask them to cancel it if it's still in progress.
3. If the switch is complete, ask them to reverse it.
4. Keep a note of the call/ chat, including the date and time, who you spoke to and what was agreed.

If you tried to switch energy supplier and it was refused:

1. Contact your existing or new supplier to find out why.
2. Take action based on its reason if it's within your control (e.g. paid outstanding debt, ask your supplier to update your meter details if they were incorrect)
3. If the supplier refuses to remove an unfair objective (e.g. a previous occupier's debt), make a complaint.

You may be eligible for compensation if something goes wrong with your switch. Energy firms must pay customers £40 if:

• You are switched without your permission or by mistake.
• Your switch is not completed within five working days (after the 14-day cooling-off period has elapsed).

You can get an extra £40 if: 

• Your supplier fails to send you the compensation you are entitled to within 10 working days.
• Your supplier takes more than 20 working days to reply to you after you tell them about a switching mistake.
• Your old and new suppliers take more than 20 working days to decide whether the switch was correct (you get £40 from each).
• Your supplier takes more than 21 working days to re-register your supply after finding out about the mistake. 

These rules are set by Ofgem. If a supplier goes out of business, different rules apply. 

The compensation is automatic, although you may need to tell your energy supplier about the problem. 

How to complain about your energy supplier

Energy suppliers should set out how to complain to them. Check your supplier's website, or the back of a recent statement. Here's what we'd recommend:

1. Contact your energy supplier's customer service or complaints team in writing and lay out the details of your concerns.
2. Keep records, including energy bills, photos of faulty meters, copies of emails and letters, and notes of phone conversations. 
3. Energy suppliers have a set time limit in which to resolve most complaints. This time limit is eight weeks. If you exhaust your provider's complaints procedure without agreement, this is known as a 'deadlock'. 
4. If your complaint reaches a deadlock situation, you can then refer your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.

Find out how to contact the Energy Ombudsman or complain about your energy supplier in Northern Ireland.