Britain rates energy firms worst for service. In January they send the biggest bill rise in four years.
Energy bills are forecast to rise by 16% in January, adding £276 to a typical dual fuel household and taking the annual bill to £1,999, according to Cornwall Insight. It would be the steepest single increase since January 2023.
The industry that will field those calls is the one British customers rate worst. The July 2026 UK Customer Satisfaction Index places utilities last of thirteen sectors on 73.7 out of 100, 4.6 points below the national average of 78.3 and more than eight points behind banks and building societies at the top.
That ranking holds despite the sector improving. Energy providers have climbed steadily since a low of 67.9 in July 2023. The difficulty is that every other sector improved too, and utilities has not closed the gap on any of them.
Absolute Intelligence’s Ged Ryan says a January rise of that scale will put the sector’s weakest function under its heaviest load of the year.
The managing director of the customer experience solutions company said: “When bills rise, customers need clear information, accessible support and the confidence that their provider will help when something goes wrong.
“People are already under pressure. The last thing they need is an hour on hold, or being passed between three departments to explain the same problem each time.”
Affordability is already stretched before the increase lands. Office for National Statistics figures for July show 32% of adults who pay energy bills find them very or somewhat difficult to afford.
Ryan argues the sector’s main response to rising contact volumes, automating the front line, is being built the wrong way round.
He adds: “A lot of brands are not getting AI integration right, and it is sending customers round in circles.
“Good AI in customer service is not about keeping the problem off a human’s desk. It is about making sure the customer reaches the right person with the right information already in front of them.
“Technology should mean nobody explains the same problem three times. That is not what most people are finding. Customer service is not an optional extra for an essential service, and if the sector does not fix it before January, these rankings will get worse rather than better.”
Ofgem confirms the January cap later this month. Call volumes across energy and water typically climb through the winter as bills arrive, payment plans are renegotiated and faults are reported in cold weather.
Ryan concludes: “People do not expect every interaction to be perfect. They expect help when they need it, and to be treated fairly when they ask for it.
“For an essential service, in January, that is the minimum rather than the aspiration.”
