Last month, Ombudsman Services handled 5,493 complaints about the energy sector. While that figure represents a fall compared to January 2015, it is still the second highest number of complaints we have received in a single month.
It is 51 per cent more complaints than we received in February 2014, indeed last year it took until April to reach that number and until September in 2013. The number of complaints we have received this year has already surpassed the total we received in the whole of 2012.
As ever, the vast majority of complaints relate to billing in one way or another (85 per cent), with transfers coming in a distant second (11 per cent). Customers are frustrated by disputed charges, inaccurate invoices, not receiving a bill at all, erroneous back billing or failure to deliver refunds.
As the sole ombudsman to the energy sector, our complaints reflect the widespread dissatisfaction by customers of the industry, so it’s no surprise that as energy firms continue to occupy the headlines, we get more queries.
However, it is encouraging that we have had fewer complaints this month than in January, even when people are receiving their winter bills. Systems issues at some firms have been a major contributing factor and as they improve we hope to see a further fall in queries.
The bottom line, however, is that bills continue to rise year on year and people expect more for their money.
Lewis Shand Smith is the chief ombudsman.