Last reviewed: May 2026
Key facts:- The Energy Ombudsman provides a free, independent dispute resolution service for energy customers in Great Britain.
- Complaints can only be referred to the Ombudsman after the supplier has had 8 weeks to resolve the issue or has issued a deadlock letter.
- Decisions by the Energy Ombudsman are binding on the supplier if the customer accepts them, but the customer keeps the right to go to court instead.
UK Energy Guides › Energy Ombudsman How To Complain
The Energy Ombudsman handles complaints between domestic and small business customers and their gas and electricity suppliers. It is a free, independent service set up under the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007 and approved by Ofgem. Complaints can lead to compensation, written apologies, billing corrections or supplier procedure changes. This guide explains how to complain, what evidence to gather, how the decision process works, and what to expect from a final award.
The Eight-Week Rule and Deadlock Letters
Before going to the Ombudsman, the customer must first try to resolve the complaint directly with the supplier. The supplier has eight weeks to provide a final response or issue a deadlock letter saying they cannot resolve the issue further.
If eight weeks pass without resolution, the customer can take the complaint to the Energy Ombudsman regardless of whether a deadlock letter has been issued. A formal deadlock letter can be requested at any time during the eight weeks if the customer believes the supplier has reached the end of its complaints process.
The eight-week clock starts from the date the customer first complained in writing. Verbal complaints sometimes get the supplier complaint process going but the clock for the Ombudsman is the date of the written complaint. Keeping a copy of the original complaint email or letter is important.
What the Ombudsman Can Investigate
The Energy Ombudsman can investigate billing disputes, payment problems, customer service failings, switching delays, smart meter issues, prepayment meter complaints, debt and disconnection disputes, and complaints about how the supplier dealt with the original complaint.
It cannot investigate matters outside the supplier control, such as the wholesale price of energy, the policies of the energy regulator Ofgem, or commercial decisions about which tariffs to offer. It also cannot deal with complaints that are subject to ongoing court proceedings.
Complaints must be brought within 12 months of the customer becoming aware of the issue. Older complaints are normally out of scope. Where new information comes to light during a longer-running issue, the 12-month clock may run from that point rather than from the original event.
How to Submit a Complaint
Complaints to the Energy Ombudsman are submitted online through the Ombudsman website. The form asks for the customer name, address, supplier name, account number, a description of the complaint, and what resolution is sought.
Evidence supporting the complaint should be uploaded with the form. This typically includes copies of bills, emails, letters from the supplier, meter readings, and any deadlock letter. Recordings of phone calls can be referred to but the supplier holds the originals.
Customers without internet access can submit a complaint by phone or by post. The Ombudsman website lists the postal address and phone number. A friend, family member or advice agency can submit on the customer behalf with the customer written authorisation.
The Investigation and Decision
Once the complaint is accepted, the Ombudsman writes to the supplier asking for their version of events and any relevant evidence. The supplier has a deadline to respond, usually 21 days. The Ombudsman then considers both sides and issues a preliminary view.
Both parties have a chance to respond to the preliminary view. The Ombudsman then issues a final decision. Decisions are made by reference to the supplier obligations under the supply licence conditions and the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007.
Where the complaint is upheld, the Ombudsman can order the supplier to apologise, correct the bill, write off arrears, provide compensation up to a maximum of 10,000 pounds, take specific action to remedy the failure, and pay other costs.
Binding Effect and Going to Court
Decisions of the Energy Ombudsman are binding on the supplier once the customer accepts them. The customer has 28 days from the final decision to accept or reject it. Acceptance is binding on both parties; rejection leaves the customer free to pursue the matter through court.
The supplier cannot reject a decision the customer accepts. Suppliers signed up to the Ombudsman scheme are bound by the Ombudsman jurisdiction under the licence conditions imposed by Ofgem.
Where the customer goes to court instead, the court is not bound by the Ombudsman decision but can refer to it as part of the evidence. The court can award amounts above the 10,000 pound Ombudsman cap for serious cases. Court costs and time should be weighed against the Ombudsman free service.
Building a Strong Energy Ombudsman Case
Keep contemporaneous records. From the start of the issue, keep a log of every contact with the supplier - dates, times, agent names, what was said. Records made in real time are more credible than recollections months later. Voice recordings of calls (where lawful) are useful.
Quantify the loss. The Ombudsman award depends on the loss the customer has actually suffered. Specific amounts - cost of additional electricity bought due to disconnection, lost work hours, replacement food after a freezer failure - are more persuasive than general claims of inconvenience.
Include consequential losses. Some losses follow from the supplier failure even though they are not direct billing issues. The Ombudsman can include reasonable consequential losses in the award, particularly where the supplier failure caused a clear cascade of problems.
Reference the supplier licence conditions. The supplier obligations are set out in the Ofgem standard licence conditions. Citing the specific licence condition that has been breached adds weight to the complaint. The Ombudsman pays particular attention to clear licence breaches.
Where to Get Free Independent Help
Citizens Advice consumer service is the official source of energy advice in Great Britain. The service provides free help with energy ombudsman complaint, bill disputes, switching, prepayment meter issues and energy supplier complaints. The Citizens Advice supplier comparison ratings are also updated quarterly.
The Energy Saving Trust provides free, impartial advice on reducing energy bills through efficiency improvements. Their free home energy calculator estimates potential savings from insulation, heating upgrades and behaviour changes. The Trust also identifies available grants such as ECO4 and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
Ofgem is the energy regulator and sets the rules that suppliers must follow. The Ofgem consumer pages explain rights, the price cap, supplier obligations and how to make complaints. The Energy Ombudsman is the binding dispute resolution body for complaints not resolved by the supplier within 8 weeks.
Supplier hardship funds run by individual energy suppliers offer one-off grants for arrears, white goods and boiler servicing. The British Gas Energy Trust, EDF Energy Customer Support Fund, Octopus Energy Assist and similar funds are accessible regardless of which supplier the customer is currently with.
In Scotland, Home Energy Scotland is a free advice service funded by the Scottish Government. It offers home energy assessments, advice on grants such as Warmer Homes Scotland, and signposting to interest-free home energy loans. Home Energy Scotland is the Scottish equivalent of the Energy Saving Trust English service.
In Northern Ireland, NIE Networks operates the electricity distribution system and the Utility Regulator oversees pricing and consumer protection. NEA Northern Ireland provides energy advice to vulnerable households. The Department for Communities Affordable Warmth Scheme funds insulation and heating improvements for eligible homes.
Putting It All Together
The rules above set out the legal framework, the practical steps and the support routes available. Where the situation is straightforward, the gov.uk pages and the official tools should be enough to act on. Where the situation is more complex, the free advice services listed in the previous section can usually clarify the position and identify the right next step. Many issues that look intractable at first turn out to be resolvable once the right service is engaged.
Keeping written records of communications and decisions throughout is good practice. Where a decision needs to be challenged later - through an internal complaint, an ombudsman, a tribunal or a court - the quality of the contemporaneous record often decides the outcome. Dates, names, reference numbers and copies of correspondence are the building blocks of any later dispute. The gov.uk advice pages and the relevant ombudsman or tribunal websites all set out the evidence they consider when reviewing decisions, and gathering that evidence from the start is one of the most effective protections available.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the Ombudsman take?
Investigations typically take 8 to 12 weeks from receipt of the complaint to final decision. Complex cases can take longer. The Ombudsman publishes service standard times on its website.
Is the service free?
Yes, the service is free for customers. The supplier pays a case fee for each complaint that proceeds. Customers are not charged regardless of outcome.
How much compensation can I get?
The Energy Ombudsman can award financial remedies up to 10,000 pounds. Most awards are smaller - typically 50 to 250 pounds for service failures, with higher awards for billing errors or unfair debt collection.
Can I complain about my old supplier after switching?
Yes. The Ombudsman can investigate complaints against a supplier even after you have switched away, provided the issue arose during the period you were a customer.
What is a deadlock letter?
A written response from the supplier confirming they have done all they can to resolve the complaint. A deadlock letter triggers the Ombudsman jurisdiction immediately, without waiting for eight weeks.
Can I get a refund of overpaid direct debits?
Yes. Direct debit credit balances are recoverable. The supplier is required to return credit on request unless retention is justified by upcoming usage. The Ombudsman can order refunds where the supplier refuses.
Can I complain about a supplier that has gone bust?
Where a supplier has exited the market, its customers were transferred to a Supplier of Last Resort under the Ofgem framework. Outstanding complaints transfer to the new supplier; the Energy Ombudsman has jurisdiction over the new supplier from the date of transfer.
Does the Ombudsman investigate energy price complaints?
Not for tariff levels set within the Ofgem price cap. The Ombudsman covers individual customer complaints about the supplier conduct, not the broader regulation of prices, which is Ofgem responsibility.
Can a business complain to the Energy Ombudsman?
Yes, for businesses with annual energy spend below the micro-business threshold (currently around 12,000 pounds annually). Larger commercial customers must use alternative dispute resolution or court action.
Is the Energy Ombudsman free?
Yes. The Ombudsman is free for customers. The supplier pays a case fee for each complaint that proceeds to investigation.
How We Verified This
Information is taken from the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007 on legislation.gov.uk, the Ofgem standard licence conditions for gas and electricity suppliers, the Energy Ombudsman scheme rules, and the Ofgem consumer protection guidance.