I am the customer: Richard Lloyd

“Consumers are the biggest losers in a failing market”

Every year, we ask people to rate their energy suppliers. Our findings are always a useful indicator of what’s happening with the market overall.
The results from our latest energy satisfaction survey paint a picture of a market that is falling short of its customers’ needs, as overall satisfaction has plummeted to a new low of just 41 per cent. This is one of the lowest average scores for consumer satisfaction out of all the surveys Which? produces.
Once again the smaller, independent energy firms have beaten off competition from all the major players. In fact, all six of the largest companies occupy the bottom of our table.
So who are the winners and losers? For the third year running, Npower has scored the lowest, with just 31 per cent, followed by British Gas (39 per cent), SSE (41 per cent), Scottish Power (41 per cent), EDF Energy (44 per cent) and Eon (45 per cent). British Gas and Npower fall below the industry average in our survey.
Good Energy is in the top spot for the third year running, this year sharing it with Ecotricity on a score of 82 per cent.
However, in a failing energy market the biggest losers will always be consumers.
That’s why it’s vital that Ofgem’s first Annual Review identifies what needs to change to improve competition and keep prices in check. We believe this won’t happen without more radical solutions, including the separation of wholesale businesses from the retail arms of the major energy suppliers.