Energy Supplier Customer Satisfaction fell to an all time low in Q1 2021 says Ofgem data
Customer satisfaction is at an all-time low as energy suppliers continue to struggle to provide suitable customer query response times and easy to understand energy billing.
Satisfaction at all time low
The first quarter data for 2021 makes for some pretty grim reading as customer complaints and overall satisfaction have slipped to their worst levels since the data was first recorded.
According to Ofgem, the number of customers reporting to be satisfied with their energy supplier slipped by 4% between Q1 2021 and the previous quarter.
Satisfaction among large supplier customers fell to 69% and among medium sized suppliers it dipped 3% to 70%. These numbers are the lowest recorded since the energy regulator began the survey.
Smaller energy suppliers fared a bit better with their satisfaction rates remaining stable at 70%.
Also read: How to Improve Consumer Trust in Energy Suppliers?
Record low for ease of contacting supplier
By far the most common complaint is the difficulty in which customers are having in actually getting in contact with their energy supplier.
Many companies were forced to reduce some services as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic but now with the restrictions eased (despite the government going back on full lifting of restrictions on June 21st) many energy suppliers have not returned to normal service.
Many companies are continuing to automate their customer responses, especially on social media platforms such as Twitter, something that if you look at the interactions is hugely frustrating for the customers.
According to the report, customer experiences on how easy it is to contact their supplier has seen satisfaction plummet to an all-time low. The proportion of those finding it easy or very easy to contact their supplier is at just 54% and those finding it difficult or fairly difficult to make contact is at an all-time high of 14%.
Energy Bill Accuracy satisfaction plummeted
Customer satisfaction with energy billing also took a tumble in the first quarter of 2021 with the most common complaint was with the accuracy of their bills. The ease of understanding their bills also fell during the same period.
Overly complicated energy bills have long been an issue in the sector but there are ways suppliers can make them easier for their customers to understand and reduce errors.
Communication between supplier and customer is key with the onus being on the company to clearly explain to the consumer how their energy bill is calculated and how the customers themselves can take action to reduce the chance of errors.
Encouraging the adoption of smart meters or educating customers on how to accurately read their electric and/or gas meters are good places to start.
Also read: How should an energy supplier handle energy billing complaints?
How Energy Suppliers can reduce Energy Billing complaints
Energy Suppliers can cut the number of energy billing complaints by using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.
For example, Dyball's CRM and energy billing software allows energy suppliers to counter easily and quickly many of the most common complaints made by consumers. Our CRM allows an energy supplier to –
- Efficiently manage the issuance of energy bills and statements.
- Easily change dates and other customer relevant information, including changes of tendency.
- Easily set energy tariff and bespoke rates for commercial energy usage.
- Allows an energy supplier to make their energy bills clear and easy to understand for customers via Ofgem approved templates.
- Easily integrates Direct Debit payments and sales ledger information.
- Allows automated PDF production that can include alternative languages, braille and larger fonts.
- The CRM automatically creates fatal errors and warnings when billing errors are detected, allowing for easy reviews and changes.
Do you need assistance with energy billing? Our CRM and energy billing system can help you. Contact us to find out more.
Large Suppliers the most complained about
The report shows that it is the largest energy suppliers that have generated the most complaints, they reported almost twice as many complaints per 100k customer accounts with a 13% rise quarter on quarter.
Smaller suppliers also saw an increase of 16% but medium sized suppliers saw the number of complaints decline by 13%.
We’ve covered the issues raised by the Ofgem report several times so here’s some articles on how energy suppliers can improve their customer service and satisfaction.
Bulb Energy topped the complaints charts with 3,265 complaints per 100,000 customers a three fold increase from the previous year. In second place was OVO with 2,866 complaints per 100,000 customers and in third place was Eon with 1,956. The large supplier with the least complaints was Octopus Energy with 488.
Further Reading
How can Energy Suppliers reduce Energy Billing Errors?
How to convince consumers to switch to a smaller energy supplier
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