British Gas came bottom of Which?'s annual energy firm rankings, the consumer organisation said on 19 January 2024, receiving the lowest overall score of 56 per cent. Which? surveyed 9,025 energy customers in October 2023 and carried out an in-depth assessment of 18 firms' behind-the-scenes practices and policies1.
British Gas supplies over a fifth of households in Great Britain. In the customer satisfaction survey it received two stars in most categories, including accessibility, value for money and accuracy of energy payments, and three stars, described as an average score, for customer service overall. In the behind-the-scenes assessment it received just over half marks for customer service, four out of 10 for how it handled complaints, and one point out of 10 for performance against its smart meter targets1.
Which? said that factoring in its assessment of companies' practices puts British Gas as the worst performing energy firm overall, followed jointly by Boost, part of Ovo, and So Energy.
At the other end, Octopus Energy was named a Which? Recommended Provider for the seventh year running with an overall score of 73 per cent, and was the only firm to achieve a five-star rating for overall customer service in the satisfaction survey. Ecotricity and E (Gas & Electricity) were also named Recommended Providers, with overall scores of 72 and 71 per cent respectively, and both received four stars for their overall customer service and for the quality of communications about energy costs1.
Which? said its assessment score is based on customer service (30 per cent), supporting customers who need it (30 per cent), complaints performance (30 per cent) and performance against 2022 smart meter targets (10 per cent). Recommended Provider status requires a customer score of at least 70 per cent and an above-average assessment score1.
| Firm | Overall score | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Octopus Energy | 73 per cent | Which? Recommended Provider |
| Ecotricity | 72 per cent | Which? Recommended Provider |
| E (Gas & Electricity) | 71 per cent | Which? Recommended Provider |
| British Gas | 56 per cent | Lowest overall |
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:
"With energy prices still punishingly high and limited chances for consumers to save money by switching suppliers, good customer service is more important than ever."
British Gas said in response that the survey is behind the curve and based on data up to a year old, that the issues raised in two case studies relating to the supplier of last resort process from 2021 were resolved, and that it has targeted more than £25m of investment on improving service, including hiring 700 new contact centre agents and extending opening times1.
Which? said the price cap stands at £1,928 a year for a typical household, and cited Cornwall Insight's prediction that prices will likely remain above pre-2021 levels until the end of the decade. It said fixed deals have been slowly returning but it has seen few offers significantly cheaper than the cap1.
Why it matters for households
With switching offering limited savings, service quality is one of the few remaining differences between energy suppliers. Which? found that a quarter of people it surveyed who had contacted their firm for help with a problem in the last year said the company had made it difficult1. For a household, the practical effects of poor service show up in billing accuracy, complaint handling and whether a smart meter works as intended, all of which shape control over energy use and cost. Which? said 100Green and Good Energy received too few responses to get customer scores or overall ratings, so they have an assessment score only1. The rankings feed into wider questions about energy suppliers and household energy independence, and sit alongside published customer service ratings and complaints data.
What happens next
Which? said it is campaigning for companies to improve customer service, calling for waiting times to be cut, better help with queries and stronger incentives for businesses to improve. It wants consumers to be able to contact companies easily, in the way that suits them best, whether speaking to a person or a chatbot1. No further dated steps have been reported.