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Complaints made against energy companies in September were three times higher than in the same month last year, according to the Ombudsman Services.
The ombudsman, which solves disputes between firms and their customers, said 4,354 people escalated complaints, continuing an upward trend seen since the beginning of the year, the report added.
The most common complaints sent to the ombudsman concerned billing errors, with more than three-quarters of complaints attributed to disputed charges, inaccurate invoices and disputed meter readings.
Problems transferring to another tariff or provider accounted for a further 11 per cent of the disputes, with more than a third of these relating to unfulfilled requests to switch.
Chief ombudsman Lewis Shand Smith said more customers are fighting back against the industry’s shortcomings.
“It’s heartening to see so many more consumers are willing to take complaints against companies when they have a problem. A well-handled complaint benefits everyone, most of all the company that resolves it, so this can only be a welcome trend.”
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