Big Six energy firms hit by record number of complaints

New figures reveal complaints to Big Six energy suppliers have reached a new high this year.

A record 1.7 million complaints were made to the UK’s 'Big Six' energy companies in the first quarter of 2014, according to new figures analysed by consumer group Which?

Grievances were up 15%, from 1.48 million, compared to the same period last year and were largely centred on billing issues.

The six energy companies - British Gas, E.On, EDF Energy, Npower, SSE and Scottish Power - account for 95% of the market, and have had to publish quarterly complaints data since October 2012.

Compare energy deals

What the figures show

Below is a table showing the complaints data released by each of the firms for the first three months of 2014.

Source: Which? 

Npower received the highest number of complaints out of the Big Six firms, amounting to 83 for every 1,000 customers in the first quarter of the year. This is up from 49 per 1,000 over the same time period last year.

In contrast Scottish Power received the fewest complaints with 13 for every 1,000 customers.

SSE and British Gas saw grievances double, bringing them in-line with E.On at around 30 complaints per 1,000 customers.

Only EDF saw a fall, with complaints dropping from 77 per 1,000 customers this time last year to 46. However complaints were still high with the company coming just below Npower.

Compare energy deals

What we are complaining about

Overall billing was the biggest issue customers had when complaining to the Big Six.

At Npower it made up 70% of complaints. Last year the firm made multiple bill errors following issues with installing a new billing system.

But an Npower spokesperson said the company was improving its service: “While we have seen issues with our billing system, which have affected some customers, we're now beginning to make progress. We're billing 92% of our customers on time and in the past three weeks, we have reduced our total complaints by 32% - as well as resolving 88% of complaints within 24 hours.”

You can find out more about the complaints data Ofgem asks energy companies to supply on its website.

To view the top five complaints for each of the Big Six suppliers follow these links: British Gas, E.On, EDF Energy, Npower, SSE and Scottish Power.

Compare energy deals

Big Six under pressure

The Big Six energy companies have come under increasing scrutiny for their prices and profits over the last year, culminating in regulator Ofgem referring the firms to the Competition Markets Authority for a review into their practices.

The latest complaints figures will add further pressure for firms to clean up their act.

Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd said: “Yet again millions of customers are being let down by poor service from the Big Six energy companies. This has to change. If they want to improve the low level of consumer trust in the energy market, suppliers must up their game now, rather than wait for the results of a competition review.”

However, Energy UK, a trade association for the industry, defended the energy company complaints data. A spokesperson said: "Most customers are happy with their energy provider. But, in an industry which serves 27 million households, sometimes things can go wrong. Most issues just take just a call to fix even though all problems – large and small – are lumped together."

Compare energy deals

More on energy:

The UK's worst energy provider

The alternatives to the Big Six energy providers

Switch energy supplier within three days by end of the year

Energy companies criticised for not passing on wholesale price savings