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Do you hate your energy company?
We all rely on a number of service providers to help keep our homes ticking over, from the energy companies who provide heat and light, to the telecoms companies who keep our broadband up to speed, and subscription TV services that help keep us entertained.
- Home energy
- Business energy
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And while we all run into problems with certain service providers from time to time, it seems energy companies are performing worse than any others when it comes to customers satisfaction - almost three-quarters (71%) of British homeowners have complained of regular problems with their energy supplier, while almost two-thirds (65%) admitted that they have little to no faith in their suppliers to fix problems when they arise, according to figures from a new survey.
Energy companies are Britain’s most disliked service provider
The survey polled 10,000 householders to find out what the general feeling was towards a range of service providers, and the results didn’t reflect well on domestic energy suppliers. When asked which service provider they disliked the most, based upon personal experience, a whopping 59% of respondents pointed towards their gas and electricity supplier, more than double the amount who chose telecoms and broadband, who were next on the list with 25%.
Water companies were next in line with 6% of the votes, while home insurance and mortgage companies were tied on 5%.
And when asked which service provider theyy most regularly run into problems with, an eye-watering 71% of respondents said gas and electricity, but were more closely followed by telecoms and broadband this time who scored 65%.
Water companies then took 56% of the vote, mortgage providers 45% and home insurers 35%.
Why are energy companies so disliked?
If you’re wondering why energy companies scored so poorly, the answer probably lies in the responses to another of the question set. When asked about the most improtant considertaions when when choosing a service provider, cheaper pricing (71%) and good customer service (61%) came out well on top, with the company’s ethics (5%) and brand awareness (4%) lagging way behind in people’s priorities.
Given that pricing and customer services levels appear to be people’s top priorities, it’s hardly surprising that energy companies came out as Britain’s least liked service providers, as high prices and poor customer service standards have been a problem for many suppliers, including the Big Six.
Who are the UK's worst energy suppliers?
Each year, Which? runs a satisfaction survey to find out who are are the UK's best and worst energy suppliers. The consumer magazine gets the opinions of around 8,000 energy customers to draw up a shortlist of the top 25 - those who feature towards the bottom are considered the worst suppliers in the country.
And it may surprise you to learn that it's the UK's biggest energy suppliers who fall short year after year.
Here's a list of the UK's top 10 worst energy suppliers for 2021 (the top being the worst):
| Supplier | Customer score |
|---|---|
| Npower | 54% |
| Scottish Power | 55% |
| SSE | 60% |
| Eon | 60% |
| EDF Energy | 61% |
| E | 61% |
| British Gas | 62% |
| Boost | 62% |
| Shell Energy | 63% |
| Bristol Energ | 64% |
To find out more about the Which? survey, including the UK's best energy suppliers, check out our blog Who are the UK’s best and worst energy companies?
What to do if you’re unhappy with your energy supplier
If you’re unhappy with your energy company for any reason, whether because of high prices, poor service, or anything else, then it’s time to switch to a new supplier.
If price is a problem, simply energy switching supplier could cut your annual gas and electricity bills by as much as £447*. But cost shouldn’t be your only consideration, and you should also consider the quality of customer service offered by your new supplier, and make sure you choose the tariff that’s right for you.
How to get the best energy deal
Switching energy supplier is a quick and simple way to knock hundreds of pounds off the cost of your annual energy bills – but with so many suppliers offering so many different tariffs, choosing the best one can be a bit tricky. The simplest way to see what deals are on offer is to run a price comparison with UKPower.The good news is, you can compare energy prices and find a new deal literally within a matter of minutes, and be switched to your new supplier within a matter of weeks.
To run a home energy price comparison, pop your postcode in the box at the top of the page, and then add a few more details about your current supplier into our price comparison tool.
We’ll then show you the best deals currently available in your area (you may not realise, but energy prices vary depending upon the region you live in), so you can compare energy deals from a wide range of providers, including the Big Six and the smaller suppliers.
If you run a business and want to cut your commercial gas and electrcity bills, we also compare business energy rates.
You then just need to choose the deal that’s best for you, and let us take care of the rest.
How to switch energy supplier
How to switch energy supplier with UKPower. Simply enter your postcode and we'll compare energy prices from a range of suppliers. You then choose the one you prefer and we'll take care of the rest.Click here to run an energy price comparison, and see if you could be paying less for your gas and electricity.
Les Roberts - Energy Expert at UKPower
If you’ve got an issue with your energy supplier, our consumer champion Les is on hand to help. A decade in consumer affairs means Les understands how confusing energy tariffs can be, so he'll cut through the jargon to help make sure you get the best deal.