Customer satisfaction with ‘big six’ falls again

Overall satisfaction with energy suppliers has fallen for the second year running after customers were battered by price rises and nine small firms collapsed, according to a survey.

Challenger supplier Ovo was voted first in the industry for overall customer satisfaction with a score of 88%, followed by Octopus on 87%, said the price comparison and switching service uswitch.com.

Its annual customer satisfaction report, now in its 13th year, used a Yougov survey of more than 17,000 energy customers to rank Britain’s ‘big six’ suppliers and 10 independent providers.

While the big six continue to languish at the bottom of the table, a challenger brand – Outfox the Market – ranked lowest for the first time ever with a score of 64%.

Npower was the lowestranking big six supplier, but is one of just three firms to improve its score year-on-year, alongside Co-op Energy and Ovo.

Ovo’s top placing is its fourth over the five years it has been included in the ranking.

Overall satisfaction with suppliers fell from 74% to 72%, which uswitch described as “not unexpected” after a year of constant price rises and the failure of nine challenger firms, leaving their customers shifted to companies not of their choosing.

Ofgem announced a £117 increase to its default tariff price cap in February, swiftly followed by all of the big six matching it ahead of it coming into effect on April 1.