Scottish Power, Ovo Energy and British Gas must "urgently" improve their customer service after a survey found they are the worst energy suppliers for responding quickly and effectively to problems, Which? Said. The watchdog said "all too often" consumers were being left on hold, stuck in never-ending chatbot loops or passed from department to department with no resolution or helpful answer to their query.
One customer said that after being left on hold when trying to phone his supplier about a billing issue, and then speaking to an agent who was unable to help, he suffered sleepless nights and anxiety over the unresolved problem. British Gas fared slightly better with a satisfaction score of 16 for the length of time it took to get in touch with a person who could help and 23 for getting an answer to an issue or query.
Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: "Scottish Power, Ovo Energy and British Gas all fared poorly in Which? research on which firms are best for giving quick and effective solutions when things go wrong. Failings in this area are particularly unacceptable when sky-high energy prices have left families and households struggling to make ends meet.
She said: "We've worked tirelessly to improve and enhance our services for all of our customers and will continue to do everything we can to help them."