Customer satisfaction levels among the big six suppliers has fallen 8% in the last year, a new survey has found.
The overall industry average for customer satisfaction stands at 58.8%, down from 66.6% last October.
According to the survey of 5,500 respondents by uSwitch, Npower is the worst provider with a 17% drop in satisfied customers, meaning less than half (47%) its client base are happy with its service.
Conversely Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) scores the highest for customer service, with nearly seven in ten (69%) satisfied.
They survey also highlights that customers are becoming increasingly sceptical of pricing, as just 41% believe their supplier is offering them the cheapest possible deal, compared to 45% a year ago. At Npower, the figure is just 27.7%.
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How they ranked
| 1 - Scottish and Southern Energy |
| 2 - EDF Energy |
| 3 - Scottish Power |
| 4 - E.On |
| 5 - British Gas |
| 6 - Npower |
Source: uSwitch
Higher prices are a factor
The last year has seen household energy prices soar by an average of 42%, or £381, and this has no doubt played a role in the growing dissatisfaction.
Value for money is unsurprisingly one of the largest fallers in terms of customer satisfaction, dropping 11.2% in the last year to 45.2%. Npower is again the worst performer, with just 33.2% of customers believing their money is well spent, down 20% on last year.
Responding to the supplier’s particularly poor show, which sees it fall below perennial customer service underachievers British Gas, Npower customer service head Julie Jaglowski says:
“We are very disappointed with the survey results. We currently have a major programme of investment in new systems and improvements to our infrastructure: we are expanding our call centres, which are all UK-based, and have recruited an additional 300 people across the whole of our customer services operations this year.”
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Not happy? Get switching
If you are unhappy with your service then should look to switch suppliers, as this is the only way to show your supplier that you won’t put up with it. Throw in the fact that you could save up to £325 (according to uSwitch) a year by doing so, and it becomes a no-brainer.
When you begin your search for a new provider, make sure you take the time to compare prices in your specific area as suppliers tend to vary their prices regionally.
If saving money is top of your list, always remember the two golden rules: Avoid the standard tariff (online tariffs are far cheaper) and pay by direct debit. Signing up for dual fuel is often cheaper too, but this isn’t always the case. Take the time to compare deals to find out what works best for you.
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