How to make a complaint about your energy supplier

Find out how to make a complaint about your energy supplier, and who to talk to it can't be resolved.

If you want to make a complaint about your energy supplier these are the steps to take:

Complain to your energy supplier
Get in touch with Consumer Direct
Contact the Energy Ombudsman

Complain to your energy supplier

Your first step should always be to go to your energy supplier directly.

If it's a simple complaint, it can most likely be resolved with a phone call. Remember to write down the time and date of your call, the name of the person you spoke to and the details of what was said.

If it's more complicated, then it's a good idea to follow up your phone call with a letter or email too, so that you have a record of your correspondence.

When writing your letter or email, remember to include your account number(s) to make it easier for the supplier to deal with your complaint.

Also include photocopies or scans of any relevant paperwork, like your bill. Keep the originals for your records. You could also think about sending your letter by recorded delivery so that you have proof of when it was sent and received.

Get in touch with Consumer Direct

If your energy supplier doesn't resolve your complaint, then you should get in touch with Consumer Direct.

Consumer Direct will be able to tell you what your rights are as well as give you advice on what to do next.

Although Consumer Direct will not be able to handle your complaint on your behalf (unless you're deemed to be vulnerable customer), it can send details of your complaint directly to Consumer Focus, which in turn can contact the supplier directly.

How to contact Consumer Direct:

By post

Consumer Direct
PO Box 833
Moulten Park3
Northampton3
NN3 0AN3

By phone

0845 404 0506

Online

https://consumer-forms.direct.gov.uk/complaint_energy.aspx

Contact the Energy Ombudsman

The Energy Ombudsman can help you to get practical action, an apology or explanation, or a financial award to resolve your complaint with your energy supplier.

You can go to the Energy Ombudsman if:

your complaint is with British Gas, EDF, E.ON, npower, ScottishPower or SSE and your complaint hasn't been resolved within eight weeks;
you're with a smaller supplier and your complaint hasn't been resolved with 12 weeks;
if your supplier says that your complaint is 'deadlocked' you can go to the Energy Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman can also deal with:

problems with energy bills;
problems resulting from an energy company's sales activity;
problems resulting from switching gas or electricity supplier;
physical problems relating to the supply of energy to a home or small business, such as power cuts and connections;
microgeneration and Feed-in tariffs.

The Ombudsman cannot deal with:

decisions made by an energy company about the prices it charges;
cases it considers to be malicious or unjustified;
complaints about liquid petroleum gas (LPG);
problems it thinks would be better dealt with by the courts or other complaints procedures.

The Energy Ombudsman can only help if you have a complaint with the companies which participate in the scheme. See a list of participating companies.