Best to worst energy suppliers ranked by Citizens Advice including British Gas, EDF and Octopus

Citizens Advice has ranked the best and worst energy suppliers in the UK, with some major firms coming out at the bottom in terms of customer service

An investigation by Citizens Advice has put some of Britain's biggest energy suppliers under scrutiny, revealing a "sluggish improvement" in customer service quality across the sector. The consumer charity developed a ranking system to assess both well-known and smaller energy firms, with Utilita and EDF receiving notably low scores, barely outdone by Octopus Energy.

In contrast, green energy provider Ecotricity topped the list, outperforming larger competitors like Ovo and Scottish Energy.

Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, commented: "We're bracing ourselves for another challenging winter. Whilst suppliers' customer service improved in the spring, firms need to continue upping their game to ensure people can access support in the colder months."

She also stressed the urgency for government action, stating: "With energy debt at a record high and the removal of previous support packages, the government must also urgently introduce targeted bill support that reflects the realities of people's energy needs."

The charity's findings, based on data from April to June, showed that 60 per cent of customers were served by companies scoring below average in the rankings, with an overall average rating of 3.07, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Full list of energy firms' customer service rankings

1. Ecotricity - 3.77
2. Utility Warehouse - 3.42
3. E (Gas and Electricity) - 3.42
4. Outfox The Market - 3.29
5. ScottishPower - 3.27
6. Ovo Energy - 3.27
7. Good Energy - 3.22
8. Co-operative Energy - 3.07
9. E.on Next - 3.07
10. So Energy - 3.05
11. British Gas - 2.94
12. Octopus Energy - 2.85
13. Rebel Energy - 2.68
14. EDF Energy - 2.41
15. Utilita - 1.86

As industry watchdog Ofgem considers implementing new regulations to enhance its authority in holding firms to account for their customer service quality, a spokesperson from the organisation commented: "Energy consumers deserve an easy and reliable service from their supplier."

"We've been working hard with the sector to drive up standards and create a more customer-centric energy future. This includes strengthening our procedures to take firmer action against suppliers when things go wrong and toughening up the rules around customer bills for greater accuracy."

"It's clear the work of government, regulator, consumer groups and suppliers is starting to make a difference and customer satisfaction is slowly rising. But there is lots more work to be done to ensure exceptional customer service is the norm across the board and the energy sector is among the best sectors for how customers are treated. We will use all the powers at our disposal to get there."