Energy Complaint Going Nowhere? The Ombudsman Route (UK)
The Energy Ombudsman is free, independent, and can order your supplier to act — but only once you have unlocked it. There are exactly two ways to do that, and one deadline that quietly ends the option altogether.
The short answer
You can take an energy complaint to the Energy Ombudsman once eight weeks have passed since you made a formal complaint to your supplier without it being resolved, or sooner if the supplier issues a deadlock letter. The service is free to you. You must apply within 12 months of the supplier's final response, and the Ombudsman can require corrective action and award compensation.
Contents
The two keys, and the clock
The eight weeks runs from when you make a FORMAL complaint, not from when the problem started or when you first phoned. That distinction is why so many people find they have waited months and still cannot escalate — nothing was ever logged as a complaint.
How the route opens and shuts
- Say the words "formal complaint" in writing and ask for a reference
- Eight weeks from that date, unresolved, unlocks the Ombudsman
- A deadlock letter unlocks it immediately — you can ask for one
- You have 12 months from the supplier's final response to apply; after that the route closes
Ask for deadlock rather than waiting by default
If the supplier has clearly reached its position and nothing is moving, asking for a deadlock letter can save you most of the eight weeks. Suppliers do not always volunteer it, and there is no penalty for asking.
What the Ombudsman can and cannot do
It can require the supplier to correct the account, apologise, explain, and pay compensation — awards can run to several thousand pounds in serious cases. It is not a court and it will not deal with a matter already in litigation. Its decision binds the supplier if you accept it.
Vulnerability changes how this should be handled
If someone in the household depends on electricity for medical equipment, is of pension age, has a disability or a young child, say so in the complaint and ask about the Priority Services Register. It is free, it changes the supplier's obligations, and it is directly relevant to how urgently the complaint should be treated.
Formal complaint / deadlock request
Edit this template with your facts, dates, and requested outcome before sending.
Subject: Formal complaint — account [number] Dear [Supplier], I am making a formal complaint about [the issue] on account [number]. [Two or three factual sentences: what happened, when, what you have already been told, and what remains unresolved.] I am asking you to [the specific outcome you want]. Please treat this as a formal complaint and confirm the reference. If you are unable to resolve it to my satisfaction, please issue a deadlock letter so that I can refer the matter to the Energy Ombudsman. Please respond in writing within 14 days. Kind regards, [Your Name]
Common mistakes to avoid
- Phoning repeatedly without anything being logged as a formal complaint
- Counting the eight weeks from the problem rather than from the complaint
- Waiting the full eight weeks when a deadlock letter was available for the asking
- Missing the 12-month window after a final response, which closes the route entirely
- Not mentioning household vulnerability, which affects how the case is treated
- Accepting a goodwill payment without checking it settles the complaint
Next steps
- 1Put the complaint in writing using the words "formal complaint" and get a reference
- 2Note the date — the eight weeks runs from there
- 3Ask for a deadlock letter if the supplier's position is clearly fixed
- 4Mention any household vulnerability and ask about the Priority Services Register
- 5If unresolved at eight weeks, or on deadlock, apply to the Energy Ombudsman
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