The energy sector has been rated second only to retail in terms of customer complaints, a new report has shown.
The sixth annual Consumer Action Monitor from the Ombudsman Services, which operates the Energy Ombudsman scheme, reveals 14 per cent of respondents had an active complaint about an energy company. This was behind the 24 per cent for online shopping and 20 per cent for offline shopping but ahead of the 12 per cent for telecoms.
It is the second year running that energy has been the second most complained about sector, although the Ombudsman said a direct comparison was not possible as the way the sector question was posed this year differed slightly.
The report, based on a poll of 4,000 people, also delved into the psychology of complaining, suggesting customers are increasingly choosing to vent their frustration on social media rather protesting directly to a company. Unsurprisingly this trend is clearest in younger generations, with 62 per cent of millennials saying complaining fills them with dread and 38 per cent preferring to grumble on social media rather lodging a complaint. The poll shows baby boomers (56 per cent) are much more determined than millennials (31 per cent) or members of Generation X (41 per cent) to actively drive a complaint forward to a business.
The research also highlights the finding that 70 per cent of vulnerable consumers suffer in silence rather than complaining, compared to 47 per cent of the rest of the population.
Matthew Vickers, chief executive at Ombudsman Services, told Utility Week: “As was the case in last year’s report, the energy sector has again come second only to retail in terms of consumer complaints, with 14 per cent of people surveyed having had an energy complaint.
“Given that it’s an essential utility and that customers have a very direct relationship with their energy suppliers, this isn’t a huge surprise.
“Our findings do show, however, that energy remains an area where consumers can experience problems and issues.
“We are keen to work with all energy suppliers to help them in any way we can, including by sharing our data and insights, to improve their complaint handling and customer service more broadly.”
A regional breakdown shows that Londoners are 2019’s most prolific complainers, with an average of 3.9 active complaints per person, followed by people in the North East (3.4). The East of England had the lowest number of active complaints per person (2.1).