When the Energy Ombudsman can act for you (and the deadlock-letter shortcut suppliers do not advertise)

What the Energy Ombudsman is, and why it is not a court

The Energy Ombudsman is the only place a UK domestic energy customer can take a supplier dispute that is free, binding on the supplier, and decided without a lawyer. It is approved by Ofgem and funded by per-case fees the supplier pays whether they win or lose. Two consequences flow from that funding model:

• Suppliers have a financial reason to settle before the Ombudsman accepts the case.
• The Ombudsman has no incentive to side with either party, its income is the same.

You can only escalate after one of two things happens. Either your supplier has had your complaint in writing for 8 weeks without resolving it, or it has sent you a deadlock letter (an email or letter stating the complaint is final from their side). After a deadlock letter you have 12 months to file with the Ombudsman.

Three Energy Ombudsman rules that decide most complaints

Beyond the "phone this number, send these documents" basics, three rules do most of the work in an energy complaint, and suppliers understand them far better than customers usually do:

• The 8-week clock starts when the complaint is in writing, not when you first telephoned. A phone call to customer services does not start the clock. An email or a letter does.
• A deadlock letter is a customer right, not a courtesy. If a supplier says "there is nothing more we can do" verbally, you can ask for that in writing. They have to provide it.
• The decision is binding on the supplier only if you accept it. Accepting closes the matter on both sides. If the remedy is too small, reject it and pursue the supplier through the courts, that right survives the Ombudsman.

Copy-paste complaint templates (the bit nobody else gives you)

Most guides tell you what to do; almost none hand you the actual words. Fill in the boxes below and the tool writes three ready-to-send messages: the formal written complaint that starts the 8-week clock, the deadlock-letter request that can fast-track you, and the Ombudsman submission summary caseworkers like to receive. Copy, paste, send. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Common mistakes that get a complaint rejected

The Energy Ombudsman accepts roughly two thirds of the cases referred to it. The rejected third tends to fail on the same three things:

• No written complaint to the supplier. Phone records are not enough. The Ombudsman needs the email, letter or webform you sent, that is what starts the 8-week clock.
• Too early. Filing before 8 weeks without a deadlock letter sees the case returned. Note the date you first wrote.
• Out of scope. Wholesale price moves, broadband bundled with energy, complaints against energy brokers acting outside the supplier's licence, none of these are for the Energy Ombudsman.

Insider tip: write the complaint as evidence, not as a vent

The Ombudsman caseworker has, on average, less than two hours to decide a case. The complaints that win quickly read like a witness statement: dated, factual, no adjectives. The Ombudsman's own guidance asks you to provide:

1. A timeline in date order, starting with the first written complaint.
2. Every reply you received, attached as evidence.
3. A specific, costed loss, "two hours of lost work", "£42 in late fees", "£187 over-billed in March".
4. The remedy you want, a refund, a goodwill payment, an apology, or a combination.

A complaint written this way is much harder to dismiss as "service dissatisfaction" and much easier to award a remedy on.

What you should actually do, step by step

1. Put it in writing today. Email or the supplier\'s webform starts the clock. Keep a copy.
2. Use the supplier\'s formal complaints procedure, it is published on their website and required by Ofgem licence condition SLC25.
3. Note the date you sent the written complaint. That is day zero of the 8-week window.
4. If the supplier offers a remedy and you accept it, the case is closed. If you reject it, ask for a deadlock letter in writing.
5. At 8 weeks, or sooner with a deadlock letter, file with the Ombudsman using the contact details below. The Ombudsman accepts cases by phone, email or web form.
6. If the Ombudsman\'s decision is too small, reject it within the 28-day window and use the small claims court, that right is preserved as long as you have not accepted.

What the Ombudsman can actually award

The Ombudsman has no power to fine the supplier (that is Ofgem's job). It can only direct the supplier to put the customer back in the position they would have been in if the complaint had been handled correctly. That usually takes one of four forms:

• A correction to the account, refund, credit, adjusted bill.
• A goodwill payment, usually in the £25 - £250 range for service failings.
• A written apology, useful only when combined with one of the above.
• A specific action with a deadline, for instance, "complete the smart meter installation within 28 days".

Once you accept a decision, the supplier has 28 days to implement it. If it does not, the Ombudsman can report the supplier to Ofgem, and that is where licence fines start.

Contact the Energy Ombudsman

Frequently asked questions