Despite holding 98% of the market share, the Big Six energy companies have been roundly beaten by smaller suppliers offering green energy in this year’s Which? energy company satisfaction survey.
For the second year running, Good Energy has come out on top with an overall score of 85% with the 100% renewable energy supplier receiving particular commendation for its customer service and energy efficiency advice. However, the Big Six did not fair so well with Npower and EDF Energy finishing bottom of the survey for another year, with scores of 39% and 46% respectively.
Just two of the Big Six companies managed to feature in the top ten list, with British Gas and Scottish Power sharing 9th position. Which? believes that the results of the survey are symptomatic of a ‘broken’ energy market where the largest suppliers fail to compete on customer satisfaction as well as price.
Commenting on the survey, Juliet Davenport OBE, CEO and founder of Good Energy said: “We are delighted to top the survey once again, and proud of the market-leading service we provide to our customers. This result is proof that if suppliers choose to invest in high quality customer care, through things like Energy Saving Trust accredited advice and internal training, then they can really help customers save money on their bills.”
Importantly, the Which? survey of more than 10,000 energy users found out that energy prices are the top financial concern for consumers, with 54% stating that they don’t trust energy companies.
Which? Executive Director, Richard Lloyd, said: “Yet again customers have told us they are fed up with the way the biggest energy companies treat them, but the complexity of energy tariffs makes it hard to shop around.
“The government’s energy reforms need to go much further to increase competition so that suppliers are under pressure to raise their game and keep their prices in check. We want the switching process to be quicker and for energy prices to be set out in a way that allows people to spot the cheapest deal at a glance.”