“Complaints made to the Energy Ombudsman by frustrated customers are at a record high, new data shows.
Figures shared with the BBC show 105,340 complaints were received by the Ombudsman in 2022, a jump of nearly 20,000 complaints since last year.
The data comes as energy suppliers are under scrutiny over their practices, as customers struggle with rising bills.”
I saw a job posted working for the complaints team for an energy firm and just absolutely dreaded what it must be like working for them. Technically your company are working within the boundaries of what’s allowed but everyone has a legitimate sob story and all you can do is apologise and tell them how to speak to the ombudsman who’ll probably just tell them the same thing.
On one hand it must be pretty easy just churning out the same responses. But on the other you would probably just go home and curl up in the shower.
Energy companies have been really scummy lately. And they make it so difficult to communicate with them.
For those who may need to hear this !
If you’re on a pre-pay meter and you’re stuck in what the energy companies call a ‘voluntary disconnection’ please call and ask for support. It might seem helpless as a lot of the big companies actively discourage their agents from proactively mentioning it to customers but they can generally load credit onto your meter either remotely if you have a smart meter or issue an energy voucher for free at their discression if you bring it up. This isn’t limited to just people on welfare but rather to anyone who is struggling on a pre-pay meter.
Several of the big suppliers also run grant-schemes too that you can apply for on their website that they don’t advertise much. So check those out to see if you’re eligible :-
Also, a lot of people don’t do this but go to Citizens Advice and contact your local council if you’re struggling with your bills. They can help or refer you to agencys that can. Here is a link to the relavant contact info and a link to find your local council : –
A lot of those agencies are able to supply you with energy credit and financial support and if you’re really struggling a food parcel or just someone to talk to if you’re struggling emotionally perhaps because you live alone without family. Your personal circumstances shouldn’t matter too much you just have to explain how you’re struggling.
Lastly, if you’re in Scotland and you’re in fuel poverty (energy debt) to your Energy Supplier or just struggling to pay your energy bills please, make a self referal here! It’s a fund provided by the Scottish Government to help those in fuel poverty. They can provide a grant (not a loan!) to your supplier to completely wipe out your remaining debt as well as provide credit towards your future bills in the short term. If you have a hard time applying for this sort of stuff yourself you can ask your local council, housing officer or CAB to make a referal on your behalf though it may take a little longer. There is eligibility criteria to ensure the funds go to those most in need too but that can be waived when applying through third party in many cases.
As an honorable mention too. There’s also the [Scottish Welfare Fund.](https://www.mygov.scot/scottish-welfare-fund) They can help you with just about anything from basical decoration for your new property (it’s really cheap, low quality stuff but its something for you to build on if you’re starting from nothing.) to providing energy support or money for food in the event of a crisis. I have helped many people apply and while they rarely get everything they want they’ll usually recieve something if their needs are legitimate. This fund is best for people who have been recently homeless, are on the verge of becoming so, and victims of a disaster, crime or trauma that has caused them to loose their possessions or forced them to leave their home. It’s distributed by your local authority and some are more generous than others so please keep that in mind.
I used them recently for the first time (Bulb keep sending £2k+ gas bills for a flat with no gas supply), and it was pretty impressed with the whole thing.
They have a fancy website, you just write out your complaint and attach any proof and click submit. Wait for the energy company to respond. Then the ombudsman reads both and gives the verdict. It was maybe a month or two in total, but only about 20 minutes actual work from me.
Unfortunately it felt like a bit of a waste of the Ombudsman’s time for such a simple issue, but it’s seemingly the only way that the energy companies will actually listen to your complaint.
My energy supplier have over charged me thousands of pounds after my meter reset it self a few years ago. Despite constantly providing photographic evidence I’ve been trying to get them to acknowledge what has happened since May last year. I’ve had my account recalculated 4 times since then and they have acknowledged that they owe me thousands of pounds but will not refund me. I submitted my complaint to the ombudsman two weeks ago and I really hope this gets the matter resolved but I’ve given up hope.
I made my first ever complaint last year, because I could not agree on the direct debit amount with OVO. They even admitted that the calculation was incorrect, but they would not change it.
The quality of their support has been abysmal throughout the leaving process (which took about 5 months due to a number of mistakes), and they are supposedly one of the better companies. Instead of just fixing the issue, they fought my right to invoke the Ombudsman tooth and nail. That’s despite them completely ignoring my formal complaint for 4 months.
Vote with your feet, chose a company that provides actual customer service.
At the start of the cost of living crisis, the campaign to get people to stop paying their energy bills were telling people to make complaints, even if they weren’t legit complaints, I wonder how much of an impact thats hd.
fun fact, we have had 2 energy companies billing us for the same electricity for about a year now. elevated our complaint to the ombudsman and they said its not the sort of thing they investigate. you dont have anyone to turn to after that. we dont have as many consumer rights as we are lead to believe
Our energy system is completely broken, and a sign and symptom of a deeper malaise within the UK, largely but not exclusively caused by the Tories.
Energy is an essential service and should not be run for profit, yet not even Labour offer any change worth its salt.
What do we do when we have such a broken economic and political system?
10 comments
“Complaints made to the Energy Ombudsman by frustrated customers are at a record high, new data shows.
Figures shared with the BBC show 105,340 complaints were received by the Ombudsman in 2022, a jump of nearly 20,000 complaints since last year.
The data comes as energy suppliers are under scrutiny over their practices, as customers struggle with rising bills.”
I saw a job posted working for the complaints team for an energy firm and just absolutely dreaded what it must be like working for them. Technically your company are working within the boundaries of what’s allowed but everyone has a legitimate sob story and all you can do is apologise and tell them how to speak to the ombudsman who’ll probably just tell them the same thing.
On one hand it must be pretty easy just churning out the same responses. But on the other you would probably just go home and curl up in the shower.
Energy companies have been really scummy lately. And they make it so difficult to communicate with them.
For those who may need to hear this !
If you’re on a pre-pay meter and you’re stuck in what the energy companies call a ‘voluntary disconnection’ please call and ask for support. It might seem helpless as a lot of the big companies actively discourage their agents from proactively mentioning it to customers but they can generally load credit onto your meter either remotely if you have a smart meter or issue an energy voucher for free at their discression if you bring it up. This isn’t limited to just people on welfare but rather to anyone who is struggling on a pre-pay meter.
Several of the big suppliers also run grant-schemes too that you can apply for on their website that they don’t advertise much. So check those out to see if you’re eligible :-
[https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/get-help-paying-your-bills/grants-and-benefits-to-help-you-pay-your-energy-bills/](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/get-help-paying-your-bills/grants-and-benefits-to-help-you-pay-your-energy-bills/)
Also, a lot of people don’t do this but go to Citizens Advice and contact your local council if you’re struggling with your bills. They can help or refer you to agencys that can. Here is a link to the relavant contact info and a link to find your local council : –
[https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/if-you-need-more-help-about-a-consumer-issue/](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/if-you-need-more-help-about-a-consumer-issue/)
[https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council](https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council)
A lot of those agencies are able to supply you with energy credit and financial support and if you’re really struggling a food parcel or just someone to talk to if you’re struggling emotionally perhaps because you live alone without family. Your personal circumstances shouldn’t matter too much you just have to explain how you’re struggling.
Lastly, if you’re in Scotland and you’re in fuel poverty (energy debt) to your Energy Supplier or just struggling to pay your energy bills please, make a self referal here! It’s a fund provided by the Scottish Government to help those in fuel poverty. They can provide a grant (not a loan!) to your supplier to completely wipe out your remaining debt as well as provide credit towards your future bills in the short term. If you have a hard time applying for this sort of stuff yourself you can ask your local council, housing officer or CAB to make a referal on your behalf though it may take a little longer. There is eligibility criteria to ensure the funds go to those most in need too but that can be waived when applying through third party in many cases.
[https://homeheatingadvice.scot/household-registration/](https://homeheatingadvice.scot/household-registration/)
As an honorable mention too. There’s also the [Scottish Welfare Fund.](https://www.mygov.scot/scottish-welfare-fund) They can help you with just about anything from basical decoration for your new property (it’s really cheap, low quality stuff but its something for you to build on if you’re starting from nothing.) to providing energy support or money for food in the event of a crisis. I have helped many people apply and while they rarely get everything they want they’ll usually recieve something if their needs are legitimate. This fund is best for people who have been recently homeless, are on the verge of becoming so, and victims of a disaster, crime or trauma that has caused them to loose their possessions or forced them to leave their home. It’s distributed by your local authority and some are more generous than others so please keep that in mind.
I used them recently for the first time (Bulb keep sending £2k+ gas bills for a flat with no gas supply), and it was pretty impressed with the whole thing.
They have a fancy website, you just write out your complaint and attach any proof and click submit. Wait for the energy company to respond. Then the ombudsman reads both and gives the verdict. It was maybe a month or two in total, but only about 20 minutes actual work from me.
Unfortunately it felt like a bit of a waste of the Ombudsman’s time for such a simple issue, but it’s seemingly the only way that the energy companies will actually listen to your complaint.
My energy supplier have over charged me thousands of pounds after my meter reset it self a few years ago. Despite constantly providing photographic evidence I’ve been trying to get them to acknowledge what has happened since May last year. I’ve had my account recalculated 4 times since then and they have acknowledged that they owe me thousands of pounds but will not refund me. I submitted my complaint to the ombudsman two weeks ago and I really hope this gets the matter resolved but I’ve given up hope.
I made my first ever complaint last year, because I could not agree on the direct debit amount with OVO. They even admitted that the calculation was incorrect, but they would not change it.
The quality of their support has been abysmal throughout the leaving process (which took about 5 months due to a number of mistakes), and they are supposedly one of the better companies. Instead of just fixing the issue, they fought my right to invoke the Ombudsman tooth and nail. That’s despite them completely ignoring my formal complaint for 4 months.
Vote with your feet, chose a company that provides actual customer service.
At the start of the cost of living crisis, the campaign to get people to stop paying their energy bills were telling people to make complaints, even if they weren’t legit complaints, I wonder how much of an impact thats hd.
fun fact, we have had 2 energy companies billing us for the same electricity for about a year now. elevated our complaint to the ombudsman and they said its not the sort of thing they investigate. you dont have anyone to turn to after that. we dont have as many consumer rights as we are lead to believe
Our energy system is completely broken, and a sign and symptom of a deeper malaise within the UK, largely but not exclusively caused by the Tories.
Energy is an essential service and should not be run for profit, yet not even Labour offer any change worth its salt.
What do we do when we have such a broken economic and political system?