There is now a huge chasm between the customer service levels of the best and worst energy suppliers in Great Britain. This is according to the latest edition of Citizens Advice’s energy star rating which ranks domestic suppliers based on customer service.
The charity is warning of a ‘race to the bottom’ among the worst-performing suppliers, as the ratings reveal gaps in several areas, including billing accuracy and ease of contacting suppliers.
Inaccurate bills are an all-too-common problem for customers of suppliers ranked in the bottom five of the star rating table. Customers of these companies are five times more likely to get an inaccurate bill from their supplier than customers of the top five suppliers.
The star rating table for January to March 2021 reveals suppliers in the bottom five failed to provide an accurate bill for 15% of their customers, compared to less than 3% for those in the top five.
Across the board, inaccurate bills are an issue. They currently make up more than 40% of the problems energy customers came to the Citizens Advice consumer helpline for support with during the last year.
These errors mean people are often charged incorrectly, straining their finances and making it difficult to budget at a time when many already face financial uncertainty due to the pandemic. For people facing debt or unemployment, it can be particularly stressful and add to money worries.
Citizens Advice is warning that suppliers are failing in their most basic obligation to customers as it calls on them to provide accurate bills for customers. The charity is also urging suppliers to protect those at the highest risk of debt by offering tailored and flexible repayment options.
The stress created by billing errors is compounded by poor customer service, which leaves people struggling to contact their suppliers to resolve issues.
The star rating table reveals a wide gap in the quality of customer service offered by suppliers in the top five compared to suppliers in the bottom five:
The worst suppliers only respond to 35% of their customers’ emails within two working days, compared to 86% for the best suppliers.
People with the worst suppliers wait on the phone for more than six minutes on average – 3.5 times longer than those with suppliers in the top five.
Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said:
“Providing an accurate energy bill is the most basic aspect of customer service that a supplier can offer and yet many are failing to do this. All companies have a responsibility to deliver the best possible service to their customers and it’s disappointing to see such a wide chasm between those who are taking this seriously and those who are not.
“When customers with billing errors are unable to contact their supplier for help, it can cause immense stress. These problems are even worse for those who are already worried about money. It’s vital that suppliers fix these issues and provide support for those most at risk of debt.”
