- 29
- Oct
With two rounds of price hikes witnessed so far this year, customer satisfaction levels are plummeting for the UKs major energy suppliers.
Such is the claim of uSwitch, which has noted that while price rises have been a strong cause of discontent, Britons are becoming increasingly dissatisfied about a range of other services and facilities offered by the big six utility giants.
Overall, it found that consumers are less likely to recommend their energy provider to a friend or family member, while 41 per cent are distrustful of whether their company has put them on the best tariff. So too, fewer than half (46 per cent) of all energy customers said that their provider was offering good value for money.
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According to uSwitch, the recent price hikes - combined with a perceived slump in service levels - have caused growing resentment among customers, with more than two-fifths (41 per cent) of people saying that they are dissatisfied with their provider. At the same time last year, this proportion stood at 33 per cent.
The first company to introduce the hikes, npower, was said to have borne the brunt of consumer discontent, with an overall 17 per cent decline in satisfaction levels. It saw its customers grow increasingly unhappy with a range of services such as metering, customer support and billing options.
Commenting on the findings, Ann Robinson, consumer policy director at uSwitch, stated: “Price rises were never going to be a vote winner, but this years increases have hit people exceptionally hard and inevitably it has damaged their perception of the industry. Sadly this has undone a lot of the hard work suppliers have put in to improving service, setting them back to where they were a couple of years ago.”
However, she added that while energy suppliers need to do more to increase customer satisfaction, consumers have a role to play too.
“If you are not happy that you are on the best deal or getting value for money - speak to your supplier. If you are concerned about estimated bills then make sure you give your supplier an up-to-date meter reading,” Ms Robinson continued.
She concluded by advising that if, after this has been done, consumers are still unhappy with their supplier, they should consider switching to take advantage of a cheaper tariff.
For those consumers who feel they are unable to change suppliers because of outstanding repayment obligations, taking out a debt consolidation loan may prove an effective way to spread debt obligations over a longer period of time, thereby relieving the burden of large bills. Meanwhile, a home improvement loan may be of interest to those who are looking to upgrade household appliances as the winter draws in. According to a recent report from Confused, it is vital that consumers check that household heaters and other devices are in a good state of repair before bringing them into use for the colder months.
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