Energy firms are letting down more and more customers with their poor levels of customer service according to the UK Citizens Advice.
With rocketing bills forcing more households unable to make ends meet, the big suppliers have been accused of failing to do enough to help.
The independent advice body said customer service standards were at an all-time low amid rising waiting times for help with bills.
It wants gas and electricity companies to make sure staff can do more to help struggling customers – warning that without changes things would get worse from October, when bills rise again.
Customer service standards had “plummeted” since June last year, it said, when many energy firms went under and millions of customers found themselves moved to new suppliers.
The Citizens Advice customer service ratings between January and March had an average score of 2.8 stars out of five, the lowest on record.
The highest score was 3.6 stars – for EDF – compared with 3.85 in the previous quarter and 4.65 at the same time last year.
Leicester-based Outfox The Market – which saw sales rise from £86 million to £101.5 million in its latest annual results and which had operating losses of £3.6 million – came second with 3.24 followed by Blub at 3.2.
The worst ranked energy supplier, out of a list of 20, was Utilita with 1.6 out of five, followed by Ovo Energy with 2.1 out of five.
Energy suppliers are obliged to help people who cannot afford their bills, but Citizens Advice warned they had struggled to cope with increased demand over the past year.
It said its own helpline dealt with more than 70,000 cases related to energy issues between January and March – 63 per cent up on the same period last year.
It is particularly worried about people on prepayment meters, who are at risk of having no gas or electricity if they cannot afford to top up.
The average time to wait on the phone to speak to an energy supplier is now around six and a half minutes, compared with just under four minutes last June.
Companies are also getting slower at responding to emails, responding on average to 62 per cent of emails within two working days, compared with 66 per cent during the same period in 2021.
Citizens Advice chief executive Clare Moriarty said: “At a time when customers need all the support they can get, it’s worrying to see service performance is the worst on record.
“This leaves people frustrated and in the dark at the end of the phone.
“For many families on low incomes, life will get even harder when the price cap goes up again in October, despite government support.
“We recognise call centre staff are working incredibly hard to answer as many calls as possible, but energy companies must do better. This should include improving support services for people struggling the most.
“Ofgem should make sure suppliers are following the rules, and take action where needed.”
Ofgem said it was working with suppliers to improve service, adding that “now is the time for them to up their game”.
A spokesman said: “Our top priority is to protect consumers, and as these stats from Citizens Advice show, there are areas where customers are simply not getting the service they desperately need and rightly expect in these very difficult times.
“We are clear with suppliers – they must not use the current gas crisis as an excuse for poor performance or sharp practices; now is the time for them to up their game on how they support customers.”
