Money alert: Regulator to rule on energy firms

Ombudsman Services handled 61,019 energy complaints during 2014-15

Complaints about energy companies more than doubled last year. Ombudsman Services said it handled 61,019 energy complaints during 2014-15, up 128 per cent on the previous year and more than five times the 11,291 dealt with in 2012-13.

It's been a bad year for the energy industry, with growing consumer dissatisfaction, market investigations and Ofgem-imposed sanctions. "The large energy firms, which dominate the market, need to tackle this and put an end to poor service," said Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd. "With the Competition and Markets Authority reporting next week, we need to see remedies that will sort out this market once and for all."

Juliet Davenport, boss of independent provider Good Energy, is hoping for a radical shake up of the market that will clear away some of the bad practices of the Big Six firms. "Over 90 per cent of householders are still supplied by the old companies who still treat energy just as a commodity, but evidence suggests customers want good service, with energy that doesn't pollute the environment and affect our health, at a reasonable price."