Top energy firms revealed as industry giants flounder in latest rankings

Consumer association Which? has announced its annual energy supplier rankings, crowning four companies as “Recommended Providers” while warning that several industry giants are failing to meet basic standards for service and value.

Following a survey of nearly 12,000 customers and an exhaustive assessment of behind-the-scenes practices, E (Gas & Electricity) emerged as the top-rated provider with a score of 79%. The supplier earned four-star ratings for customer service and clarity of billing, with nearly nine in ten customers saying they would recommend the firm.

Octopus Energy secured second place (74%), marking its ninth consecutive year as a Which? Recommended Provider. Notably, Octopus is the only “Big Six” firm to receive the accolade. Small supplier 100Green (72%) and Sainsbury’s Energy (71%) completed the top tier, with the latter qualifying for the prestigious status for the first time.

In contrast, some of the UK’s largest suppliers languish at the bottom of the table. Scottish Power received the lowest overall score of just 56%, plagued by poor complaint handling.

EDF followed closely behind with 58%, penalized for limited customer service hours. British Gas rounded out the bottom three with 59%, failing to earn a single point in the assessment of its switching services. All three firms received dismal two-star ratings across every category of the customer survey.

The findings come as the energy market sees a significant return to competitive switching. With energy prices stabilizing, fixed-term deals are now reliably cheaper than the standard variable price cap. Which? found that 45% of customers who switched did so for better pricing, while a third were driven by a provider’s reputation.

“Our research shows that while four suppliers are outshining the competition, some big firms are letting their customers down,” said Emily Seymour, Which? Energy Editor. “With fixed tariffs now cheaper than the price cap, there is no need for customers to put up with poor value or shoddy service. Anyone unhappy should shop around and vote with their feet.”