“It’s right that Ofgem is hitting suppliers where it hurts”, Which? response to Ofgem announcing a sales ban for ScottishPower over customer service.
Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director said:
“ScottishPower should be properly punished for failing to meet its customer service targets so it’s right that Ofgem is hitting suppliers where it hurts.
“It’s little wonder that consumer trust in this market is so low. We need to see the CMA propose radical reforms to Fix the Big Six. In the meantime the biggest suppliers should urgently improve how they treat their customers and not wait for the outcome of the competition inquiry.
“Customer loyalty doesn’t always pay in the energy market so if people are fed up with their supplier they should shop around for a better deal.”
Notes to editors
1. In our latest annual energy satisfaction survey, ScottishPower was rated second bottom for its complaints handling and customer service with a customer score of just 41%. Only npower fared worse with a score of 35% – both fell well below the GB industry average of 48% in our survey.
2. The Which? Consumer Insight tracker reveals that over the last month:
– Energy prices are the top consumer worry, with two thirds of people (66%) saying they are worried about energy prices.
– Only one in five (18%) people currently trust gas and electricity companies to act in their best interests – the lowest level we have seen since energy price rises in Autumn 2013.
3. If you think you might be missing out on the cheapest energy deal you can use Which? Switch to compare energy prices. Which? Switch is an independent service that searches the market to provide a comprehensive, transparent and impartial view of your gas and electricity options, including supplier and tariff ratings to help you decide on service as well as price.