The figures come as competition in the energy market intensifies again
Households are becoming happier with their energy suppliers after years of soaring bills and customer frustration, new figures reveal.
Customer satisfaction with energy firms has climbed to its highest level since before the 2021 energy crisis, according to new research from Uswitch. The comparison site said 77% of households now say they are satisfied with their energy provider – marking the third consecutive annual rise and matching levels last seen before the gas price crisis rocked the market.
Nearly four in five customers (79%) also said they would recommend their supplier to others – up sharply from just 47% at the height of the crisis in 2023. The findings will be closely watched by millions of customers with suppliers including Octopus Energy, OVO Energy and E.ON Next as firms battle to win back trust after years of spiralling prices and supplier collapses.
And it was Octopus Energy that emerged as the standout winner in the annual Uswitch Energy Awards, taking the top spot among the major suppliers for overall customer satisfaction, value for money and customer service. Smaller challenger supplier Outfox the Market topped the rankings among smaller firms, while Ecotricity won the customer service award in the small supplier category.
Energy customer satisfaction rebound
Likely to recommend: 62% in 2021 to 79% in 2026
Overall customer satisfaction: 77% in 2021 stayed the same
Value for money: 70% in 2021 to 65% in 2026
Billing service: 75% in 2021 to 76% in 2026
Customer service: 63% in 2021 to 70% in 2026
The research, based on a survey of more than 15,000 energy customers, suggests suppliers are beginning to repair their reputations after the market turmoil triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and wholesale gas price spikes. Many firms have increasingly pushed fixed deals again in recent months, with some tariffs coming in below the regulator’s energy price cap forecasts.
However, despite the improvement, households are still less convinced they are getting value for money than they were before the crisis erupted. Only 65 per cent of customers believe they are receiving good value from their provider, compared with 70 per cent in 2021.
Sabrina Hoque, energy expert at Uswitch, said: “The work suppliers have put in to stay competitive and deliver strong customer service is paying off, with overall customer satisfaction rising for the third year in a row. The war in the Middle East has driven a spike in energy prices, but suppliers reacted quickly to ensure fixed tariffs were still available, with many undercutting price cap forecasts.
“Suppliers must continue to focus on driving prices down for households through market-leading fixed deals as well as expanding offers such as innovative tariffs and rewarding demand flexibility schemes.”
The figures come as competition in the energy market intensifies again, with suppliers fighting hard to attract switchers after a prolonged period where most deals disappeared entirely during the crisis. Octopus has rapidly expanded in recent years to become Britain’s largest household energy supplier, helped by its takeover of failed rival Bulb and its aggressive push on smart tariffs and customer service.
