The UK's best and worst broadband providers

Now Broadband racked up the most complaints, while Sky and Shell Energy generated the fewest. We look at how the major broadband firms compare in the latest Ofcom complaints tables.

Now Broadband has replaced Virgin Media as the broadband provider with the highest number of official complaints, latest figures from Ofcom revealed.

According to the regulator, the main issue faced by Now customers was poor complaints handling (48%), followed by service issues (35%), and billing problems (10%).

At the other end of the scale, Shell Energy and Sky were the broadband providers with the fewest complaints.

Remarkably, that's the eighth straight quarter that Sky has either finished top or joint top in terms of lowest complaints.

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How the best & worst firms are ranked

Every three months, Ofcom provides its breakdown of complaints per 100,000 customers that each major provider attracts. 

These stats take some time to put together, so the latest figures that we're discussing in this article cover the period between January and March 2024.

If your provider features near the top of the complaints list, or you simply want a cheaper deal, make sure you compare broadband deals in your area today.

It's straightforward and you could save hundreds, especially if you bundle your broadband with your landline and pay TV provider.

As a final point, while the figures below might sound low, it's worth remembering these aren't just for complaints made to broadband firms: they are issues that have been escalated to the regulator because customers have been unable to get their issues resolved directly with their provider.

The actual number of unhappy customers will be far higher than this as these only cover the documented, extreme cases.

As a case in point, Ofcom's report claims that one in five broadband customers had a reason to complain to their provider over the last year.

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UK's worst broadband providers

As mentioned earlier, Now Broadband was ranked the worst broadband provider, racking up 22 complaints per 100,000 customers.

That's up from 18 per 100,000 in the previous quarter and double the industry average of 11 complaints. 

It replaced Virgin Media at the bottom of the table, which had held that position for the last two quarters.

Vodafone (16) and EE (14) were the only other firms to come in above the industry average.

Your rights if your broadband connection goes down

UK's best broadband providers

At the other end of the league table, Shell Energy and Sky generated just six customer complaints per 100,000 (Get superfast full fibre Sky broadband (up to 100mbps) from just £27 a month - affiliate link).

As mentioned earlier, Sky often generates the fewest complaints, but Shell's position at the top is interesting to note. 

As you can see in the table below, the company has gone from comfortably the worst provider to top of the table in little over a year. 

Plusnet (8) and BT (9) were the only other companies to come in under the industry average of 11.

Below are the results over the past six quarters to give you a clearer picture of how well (or not) the various broadband providers treat their customers over time.

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Complaints to Ofcom per 100,000 customers 

Switching broadband is a lengthy farce: but it's still absolutely worth it

Should you switch even if you're happy?

The above figures give you a good idea of which firms have the worst track records for treating customers fairly. 

But even if you are with one of the better performers, it's seriously worth considering switching if you've been with them for more than a couple of years.

Why? Research has highlighted how broadband firms are charging existing customers the best part of £200 a year more for the identical service being offered to new customers.

So even if you're happy with your service, you should still ensure you aren't getting ripped off by regularly shopping around for cheap broadband deals.

Also, if you're currently mid-contract and your provider is planning to hike prices, there are new rules that should make it easier for you to ditch them penalty-free, which you can read about here.

  As a final point, if you're in receipt of Universal Credit you should definitely check out social broadband tariffs, which could save you a lot of money. Read more about it here. 

Which are the best and worst telecoms firms?

So, there you have it, your round-up of the UK's best and worst broadband providers.

Find out which other telecoms firms you should be dodging by reading The UK’s worst pay TV provider, The UK's worst home phone provider and The UK’s best and worst mobile networks.

*This article contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission on any sales of products or services we write about. This article was written completely independently.

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