British Gas (CNA.L) came last in a survey of over 9,000 customers regarding service satisfaction, as consumer body Which? urges firms to do better amid high energy bills.
British Gas, which supplies more than a fifth of households in the UK, received an overall score of 56% and scored just two stars for most categories, including accessibility — or whether a customer can engage with it effectively — value for money and accuracy of energy payments.
It received three stars — an average score — for customer service overall.
British Gas got just over half marks for customer service and just one point out of 10 for performance against its smart meter targets.
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It also received four out of 10 for how it handled complaints, losing points primarily for the volume of customer complaints it received per 100,000 customer accounts in the first half of 2023 in comparison to other suppliers.
British Gas, alongside Boost, Scottish Power, Ovo Energy, Shell Energy (SHEL.L), EDF Energy and E.ON Next (EOAN.DE) all received customer scores of less than 60%.
A quarter of people Which? surveyed who had engaged with their energy firm in the last year to get help with a problem said the company had made it difficult.
At the other end of the scale, three firms powered ahead of the competition — Octopus Energy, Ecotricity and E (Gas & Electricity).
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Octopus Energy was also the only firm to achieve a five-star rating for overall customer service.
The findings come as households suffer a price cap of £1,928 a year for the typical household, with prices predicted to remain above pre-2021 levels until the end of the decade.
Which? wants consumers to be able to easily contact companies amid the current energy crisis, without unnecessary barriers and in the way that suits them best.
Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: “With energy prices still punishingly high and limited chances for consumers to save money by switching suppliers, good customer service is more important than ever.
“Which? is calling for any providers who are falling short on customer service to up their game and ensure customers are able to contact them easily and get the answers they need.”
A British Gas spokesperson said: “This survey is behind the curve and is based on data that is up to a year old.” Which? surveyed 9,025 energy customers in October 2023.
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