Two small energy suppliers have left the “big six” trailing when it comes to customer satisfaction, according to the biggest survey of its kind.
The success of Octopus Energy and Bulb sends a message to larger, more established players such as British Gas and Npower that customers will look elsewhere if they do not feel they are being treated properly, said the price comparison and switching service uSwitch.com.
Its annual customer satisfaction report, now in its 12th year, surveys more than 17,000 energy customers, and ranks Britain’s big six suppliers and nine independent providers.
The figures come weeks after the energy regulator Ofgem revealed that about 57% of people with the 10 largest suppliers, around 13 million customers, are on a standard variable tariff and typically paying about £300 a year more than they would if they were on the cheapest deal on the market.
The uSwitch data will give a boost to the smaller and newer players aiming to break the dominance of the big six - British Gas, EDF, E.ON, Npower, SSE and ScottishPower.
Octopus Energy, which was included in the report for the first time, took first place for overall customer satisfaction with a score of 96%, and was named supplier of the year. The company claims to be the UK’s largest investor in solar farms, and has a tariff offering 100% renewable electricity.
Bulb, also making its debut in the report, achieved a customer satisfaction score of 92%, and claims to have signed up almost 300,000 members over the past 12 months. It too has a tariff offering 100% renewable electricity.
Another new entrant, Utility Warehouse, owned by Telecom Plus and advertised by Joanna Lumley, came in third with an approval rating of 90%. Utility Warehouse’s services are promoted by an army of independent “partners”, who earn commission by encouraging friends, family and others to sign up for its deals.
uSwitch said: “Energy customers are clearly impressed by the offerings from newer suppliers, but less enamoured with the larger and more established players.” Npower was 15th and bottom of the table with a rating of 65%, British Gas was in 14th place with 68%.
The report also found that overall satisfaction with energy suppliers fell by 2.5%, the first drop since 2011, which may be a reaction to the price rises that millions of people on standard variable tariffs faced last year.
Claire Osborne of uSwitch said shopping around for a better energy deal took only a few minutes, and that between April and September 2017 at least 10% of people who switched energy supplier for both gas and electricity via the site saved £491 or more.
