Contact between households and their energy supplier about help paying bills has reached its highest level since tracking began, according to Ofgem's Energy Consumer Satisfaction Survey for July and August 2025, published in December 2025. Among customers who had fallen behind or run out of credit, 78% reported contact with their supplier, up from 69% in January 20251.
The rise was driven partly by suppliers making the first move. Supplier-initiated contact rose to 20% from 14% in January, matching its previous high, while customer-initiated contact has largely driven the trend over time1. Satisfaction with the bill support received also improved: the share of those customers who were very satisfied rose from 34% to 43%1.
The survey, run by BMG Research for Ofgem and Citizens Advice, is based on 3,790 interviews with a representative sample of energy bill payers across Great Britain, carried out between the 16th July and 13th August 2025, with a maximum confidence interval of plus or minus 1.59%1. Fieldwork concluded before the price cap increase announcement on 27th August 20251.
The findings sit alongside broader improvements in reported service. Overall satisfaction reached 82%, up from 81% in January and the highest level since tracking began in 2018, while customer service satisfaction reached 76% from 74%1. Ease of contacting a supplier reached its highest recorded level at 77%, and use of live chat rose to 16% from 12%1. Ofgem said around half of customers who made contact, 48%, still reported at least one difficulty, most commonly delays between responses at 18% and long wait times at 15%1.
| Measure | January 2025 | July/August 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Contact with supplier about help paying bills after falling behind | 69% | 78% |
| Supplier-initiated contact | 14% | 20% |
| Overall satisfaction | 81% | 82% |
| Customer service satisfaction | 74% | 76% |
| Ease of contacting supplier | Not given | 77% |
| Self-reported smart meter ownership | 68% | 71% |
Ofgem's foreword to the report set out its position on service standards:
"We are concerned where particular groups continue to experience poorer outcomes in the market. We have seen that when things go wrong the impact can be serious, especially for the most vulnerable. In these circumstances it is only right that we set the highest of standards for our energy suppliers."
The survey also found that 53% of consumers were classified as doing well under Ofgem's financial vulnerability classification, up from 46% in January, while 15% were financially vulnerable and 12% highly financially vulnerable, down from 17% on both measures1. Satisfaction was 88% among those doing well and 71% among those highly financially vulnerable, a 17 percentage point gap1. The share of customers owing money or running out of credit was unchanged at 10%, and Ofgem noted that its separate debt and arrears data show average debt increasing over time1.
Why it matters for households
Falling behind on a bill is the point at which a household's energy independence is most exposed: the options narrow to a payment arrangement, a deduction from benefits or a prepayment meter, and the terms depend on what the supplier offers and what the household asks for. The rise in contact matters because support such as help with energy bills and debt in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland is generally not automatic. The survey records contact, not whether the support offered resolved the debt, and it does not report how many households in arrears had no contact at all.
The increase in supplier-initiated contact is a change in who starts the conversation, which affects households that may not know what is available or may avoid raising the subject. Satisfaction with the support received rose, but the survey does not report what was actually provided, so it cannot show whether arrangements were affordable or whether debts were cleared. Ofgem's own note that average debt is rising while the share of customers in arrears is flat points to those already behind owing more, rather than more households falling behind.
The wider satisfaction figures cover service quality rather than affordability. Smart meter ownership, now at 71%, is associated with higher satisfaction, but 36% of smart meter customers reported at least one issue in the past six months1. The survey question on smart meter issues was changed in this wave to ask about the last six months rather than the last three, so that figure is not directly comparable with earlier waves1.
What happens next
Ofgem published a call for input in November 2025 seeking views on a set of proposed Consumer Outcomes, intended to set out what consumers should experience from the energy industry1. The next wave of the survey is due to take place in early 20261.