In June 2007 Accent, a research consultancy, asked 2400 small businesses to rate their electricity provider on customer service on a scale of 1 to 5.

Click Full report.

Key findings of the report

• None of the six suppliers achieved a “satisfied” score of 4
• The average score for all suppliers was 3.56 out of 5
• British Gas Business ranked lowest with 3.24 out of 5
• Scottish and Southern Energy ranked highest with 3.85 out of 5

Mean overall satisfaction with services from electricity suppliers

How likely are small businesses to recommend their electricity supplier?

• On average 61% of the consumers surveyed would recommend their electricity supplier.
• 71% of Scottish and Southern business customers would recommend their electricity supplier.
• 50% of British Gas Business customers would recommend their supplier

How do suppliers meet customers’ expectations on issues that matter most to them?

• All service areas showed clear gaps between what consumers regarded as important and their satisfaction with suppliers’ performance.
• Meter reading, switching and billing service are the priority areas for consumers that they are most dissatisfied with.

How do businesses rate their suppliers’ billing services?

Around 64% of all small businesses who contact energywatch with a complaint or enquiry report problems with their bill.  Research also confirmed that billing service is a high priority for businesses.

• Customers of British Gas Business placed the highest importance on billing issues and were the least satisfied.
• Customers of Scottish and Southern were the most satisfied.

How do businesses rate standards of customer service?

When businesses are unhappy with their electricity supplier, they are likely to approach their supplier.  The research showed that:

• 63% of those dissatisfied with service had contacted their supplier
• Of those who contacted their supplier, 55% considered their contact to be a complaint.
• 55% of dissatisfied customers who did not complain cited lack of time for not doing so; 27% cited lack of confidence that the complaint would be resolved.
• Customer service was the single most important aspect that all businesses, regardless of whether or not they had made a complaint, wanted to see improved.

How do businesses rate meter reading services?

Businesses rated British Gas Business lowest and Scottish Power highest on meter reading.

The key reasons for dissatisfaction with British Gas Business were infrequent meter readings and receiving inaccurate bills after the meter reading.

How do businesses rate billing issues?

British Gas Business was rated worse than average and Scottish and Southern best.

Businesses cited accuracy of bills, value for money and clarity of the bills as issues of highest concern to them.

How do businesses rate contract renewal?

As with billing, research showed British Gas Business scored lowest while Scottish and Southern was the best performer.

Businesses cited lack of clear information, poor value for money and automatic contract renewal as issues of concern.

How do businesses rate sales service when switching suppliers?  

British Gas Business was rated as the best performing supplier.

The main reasons for dissatisfaction with the sales service across all the suppliers were: lack of clear information about the product/service (29%), supplier pressure to sign the contract (8%) and demonstrating a poor understanding of the needs of the business consumer.

How do businesses rate the handling of the switching process?

Scottish and Southern was rated highest while npower received the lowest rating.
The main reasons cited for dissatisfaction with this area of service were: slow speed of switchover (36%), poor understanding of the switchover process (18%) and lack of clarity (18%).

How do businesses rate the handling of consumer contacts when they are dissatisfied?

According to Accent’s research, the three main reasons for businesses making contact with suppliers are billing (45%), meter reading (34%) and contract renewal (16%).

Satisfaction is low for all suppliers, with npower and E.ON Energy being rated as worst and Scottish and Southern as the best performing company.