The best energy suppliers of 2024 – according to customers

online energy bill

Switching energy providers used to be a common occurrence – as little as five years ago half of Britons said they had switched energy providers in the past 12 months.

However, the market was upended during the Covid pandemic, swiftly followed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, bringing an abrupt halt to switching.

Fixed energy deals became so expensive that providers stopped offering them, meaning variable rates – governed by the energy price cap – became the only viable option.

While energy prices today remain 59pc higher than the winter of 2021, according to the House of Commons Library, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider switching. Because while choice between providers in terms of saving money on your bills may still be slim, the difference in customer satisfaction between different energy firms are “miles apart”.

Here, Telegraph Money explores the best energy providers according to customers, and how you can switch to them to enjoy better service.

How can you determine the ‘best’ energy suppliers?

“Best” is a tricky gauge to measure, and there are numerous methods to rank the performance of energy providers. We’ve assessed recommendations made from consumer group Which? and Citizens Advice, both of which have surveyed British energy customers to see how happy they are with their suppliers’ service.

Which? carries out an annual survey of 9,000 customers to ask how happy they are with their energy provider, and how likely they are to recommend it.

It also conducts a “behind the scenes” assessment of energy firms’ practices. This measures 15 metrics including the performance of customer service, how it handles complaints and how it supports customers who need help.

Citizens Advice also measures the performance of energy providers. Its review factors in average call centre wait times, as well as complaints made about the provider to Citizens Advice and the Energy Ombudsman.

Which supplier has the best customer service?

When it comes to customer service, you’ll probably want your energy provider to respond to your queries and sort out your issues quickly, without being left for hours on hold.

There were some standout providers from Which? and Citizens Advice.

Octopus Energy

Octopus Energy may be a relatively new supplier to the market, only being established in 2015, but it has quickly won over consumers with its customer service.

The energy firm was recently recognised as Which’s Recommended Provider of the Year 2024 – the seventh year in a row it has won the award. Judges this year said it was the only supplier to get a five-star rating for customer service in its survey.

The company puts its success down to years of training its staff, meaning you aren’t passed between departments failing to get an answer to your question or struggling to solve a problem. The company also provides the email address for its chief executive on its website and tells customers to get in touch directly if they are unhappy with a complaint that they have raised.

Alongside Octopus Energy, the title of Which? Recommended Provider 2024 was also awarded to Ecotricity and E.

Customers for both suppliers were positive about the service and Which? found Ecotricity’s customer service setup was impressive, while noting the quality of communication E offered customers.

Shell Energy

Citizens Advice last measured the performance of energy suppliers between October and December 2023. It found Shell Energy, which was recently absorbed by Octopus Energy, to provide the best customer service, giving an overall score of 3.8 out of five.

It found there were only 21.9 complaints to Citizens Advice, Advice Direct Scotland and the Energy Ombudsman per 10,000 customers. The average call centre wait time was 58 seconds and more than 90pc of emails were responded to within two days.

The next best-rated suppliers, according to Citizens Advice, were Outfox The Market and E.ON Next.

Recommended

How to beat energy surge pricing – even if you already have a smart meter

Read more

Which suppliers should you avoid?

British Gas ranked as the worst performing energy supplier according to Which?. The firm was given a score of four out of 10 for how it handled complaints because of the volume of complaints it received per 100,000 customers compared to other providers.

As part of the survey, Which? spoke to disgruntled British Gas customers about their experience. One said they had spent several months trying to resolve an issue where he was incorrectly billed for two properties.

British Gas described the survey as being “behind the curve”, arguing it was based on data up to one year old, and the company, which is Britain’s largest energy supplier, had recently invested more than £25m improving its service which would result in better customer satisfaction.

However, in March The Telegraph revealed British Gas had been waking customers in the middle of the night to carry out feedback surveys.

The blunder, which took place in the early hours of March 12, left customers furious, with one fearing it was a call from her mother’s care home to say she had died.

British Gas apologised for the “technical issue” which affected customers and reiterated its commitment to improve customer service by hiring 700 more UK based contact centre staff.

Separately, Citizens Advice found So Energy to be the lowest ranked supplier, with an overall score of 1.4 out of five.

Its research found only a quarter of emails were responded to within two days and the average time customers spent on hold before reaching an operator was almost eight minutes.

There were also 109.6 complaints per 10,000 customers about So Energy submitted to Citizens Advice, Advice Direct Scotland and the Energy Ombudsman.

Play The Telegraph’s brilliant range of Puzzles – and feel brighter every day. Train your brain and boost your mood with PlusWord, the Mini Crossword, the fearsome Killer Sudoku and even the classic Cryptic Crossword.