Ofgem has welcomed a pledge from Toto Energy to cut the average call waiting time for its customers to under five minutes by the end of July.
The firm made the commitment after admitting that its service had “fallen short” of expectations during the process of moving its customer care team to offices in Brighton.
In an open letter to customers, Toto Energy chief executive Jim Butler, said: “We want you to know we’re sorry, but we also want you to know what we’re doing to make things right.”
Butler said the company was “rapidly increasing” the size of its customer care team and introducing “more and better options” for customers to serve themselves through its website. He said it was also changing its direct debit process to make it easier to understand.
Responding to the apology, Ofgem said in a statement: “We have been in discussions with Toto Energy about remedying deficiencies in its customer service arrangements that have made it difficult for its customers to make enquiries and complaints.
“Following our intervention, Toto Energy is taking a series of steps to improve the quality of its customer service.
“We welcome the fact that Toto Energy has apologised to its customers, has set a target of reducing average call wait times to below five minutes by the end of July, and has committed to further improvements thereafter.”
Toto Energy transferred thousands of its customers on prepayment meters to Utilita Energy in April in a bid to “improve all aspects” of its business.