Which? has named British Gas the worst energy supplier in its annual customer satisfaction survey, with the company scoring just two stars in most categories including accessibility, value for money, and accuracy of energy payments. The survey of over 9,000 energy customers placed British Gas at the bottom of the ranking, alongside other major suppliers such as Boost, Scottish Power, Ovo Energy, Shell Energy, EDF Energy, and E.ON Next, all scoring below 60%.
At the top of the ranking, Octopus Energy achieved the highest customer satisfaction score of 73%, the only supplier to receive a five-star rating for overall customer service. Ecotricity and E (Gas & Electricity) followed closely with scores of 72% and 71% respectively, both earning four stars for customer service and communication about energy costs.
The findings come as households face an energy price cap of £1,928 per year for the average home, with prices expected to remain elevated until the end of the decade. Which? policy and advocacy boss Rocio Concha said: 'With energy prices still punishingly high and limited chances for consumers to save money by switching suppliers, good customer service is more important than ever.'
The consumer watchdog also found that a quarter of customers who contacted their energy supplier for help with a problem in the past year reported that the company made it difficult. Which? is calling on suppliers to improve, while Ofgem has introduced new rules to drive up standards in areas such as call waiting times and support for customers in debt.
A British Gas spokesperson defended the company, stating: 'This survey is behind the curve and is based on data that is up to a year old. Since that period, we've targeted more than £25 million of investment on improving service... including hiring 700 new contact centre agents and extending our opening times.'
