A new low for big six energy suppliers

The consumer group Which?’s latest annual energy company survey found that the overall customer satisfaction score has dropped from 49 per cent last year to 41 per cent.

The score is one of the lowest recorded by Which? from all of its satisfaction surveys across a range of products and sectors.

The consumer group said the survey exposed a market “that is falling short of its customers’ needs” as satisfaction plummeted and the biggest companies fared worse than the smaller supp- liers.

The six largest companies, which account for more than 90 per cent of the market, ranked bottom of the table, with Npower scoring the lowest for the third year running with 31 per cent.

British Gas scored 39 per cent, below SSE and Scottish Power on 41 per cent, EDF Energy (44 per cent) and E.On (45 per cent).

British Gas and Npower both fell below the industry average of 41 per cent.

Good Energy held the top spot for the third year running, sharing it with Ecotricity, with both scoring 82 per cent.

All of the companies that appeared on the table last year scored lower, except for Ecotricity and First Utility who have risen from 80 per cent to 82 per cent and 50 per cent to 58 per cent respectively.

Latest statistics from Which? show that energy prices are the top worry for 84 per cent of consumers, while just 20 per cent trust suppliers to act in their best interests.

Some 60 per cent of consumers told Which? that they are already “dreading” the cost of their winter energy bill.

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: “Once again the biggest energy companies have been beaten by the smaller suppliers but there are no winners in a broken market that consistently fails consumers.”