British Gas, Ovo, Octopus and Other Energy Firms Ranked Best to Worst
A recent survey ranks energy firms in the UK, highlighting the best and worst performers based on customer satisfaction and service quality
British Gas, Ovo Energy, Octopus Energy, Scottish Power, Utility Warehouse, 100Green, UK
London: So, there’s this new survey out that ranks energy companies in the UK, and it’s pretty eye-opening. Octopus Energy, Utility Warehouse, and 100Green are the stars of the show, getting the thumbs up from Which? as Recommended Providers. Meanwhile, the big names like British Gas and Ovo Energy are sitting at the bottom of the list.
This survey was done between September and October 2024, with nearly 12,000 energy customers sharing their thoughts. They really dug deep into how these companies operate behind the scenes, too, to see who’s doing well and who’s not.
British Gas, Ovo Energy, and Scottish Power all scored below 60 percent, which is not great. British Gas and Ovo Energy got the lowest score of 58 percent, according to the Daily Record. It’s surprising since British Gas is one of the biggest suppliers in the UK, but their customer score was just 61 percent, which is below average.
They only managed to snag two stars for customer service and value for money. Ouch! And when it comes to complaints, they didn’t do so hot either. They had a lot of customer complaints in the first half of 2024 and struggled to resolve them efficiently.
Ovo Energy, now the third-largest provider, didn’t fare much better. They got a low customer score of 56 percent and also received just two stars for service and communication. It seems they’ve been criticized for how they handle complaints, too.
So Energy did a bit better than the others, scoring 63 percent, but they still fell short on smart meter targets and customer support outside of regular hours. Scottish Power was just a tad better with a score of 59 percent, but their customer score was still pretty low at 58 percent.
On the flip side, Octopus Energy is shining bright with the highest score of 74 percent, marking its eighth year as a Recommended Provider. Almost 90 percent of customers said they were happy and would recommend it to others. They really nailed it in the customer satisfaction survey.
Utility Warehouse and 100Green also made the cut as Recommended Providers for the first time. Utility Warehouse scored 73 percent and got five stars for customer service, which is impressive. Their CEO was thrilled about the recognition, saying it’s a big deal for them.
100Green also did well, scoring 70 percent and getting a solid customer score of 76 percent. They handled complaints pretty well, too. With energy prices stabilizing, some fixed deals are popping up, and it might be a good time for consumers to switch suppliers.
With so many offers out there, good customer service is becoming a key factor for people choosing their energy provider. The research shows there’s a big difference in service levels among companies. Those that don’t step up their game might lose customers to those offering better value.
Emily Seymour, the Energy Editor at Which?, pointed out that while some companies are doing great, others are really letting their customers down. She stressed that big firms like British Gas and Ovo Energy need to improve to meet customer expectations.
She also suggested that if people are unhappy with their current provider, they should definitely shop around for a better deal and consider switching to a company that offers better service.