The number of complaints about energy suppliers has decreased slightly: which supplier are we least satisfied with?

After a peak in 2022, the number of complaints about energy suppliers has fallen slightly, the Energy Ombudsman Activity Report shows..

In the news: The Energy Ombudsman Service received 24,615 questions and complaints from Belgians last year.

• This represents an 8.5 percent decrease compared to 2022. At that time the counter stood at 26,920.
• “This decrease in the number of complaints is less strong than expected because we were able to observe lower energy prices as well as more stable prices since the beginning of 2023. On the other hand, households and businesses faced more expensive energy bills in 2023, which was still a result of higher energy prices And its volatility in 2022.” Maurice Bouhit.
• There were also problems with the new Atrias data platform and the MIG6 communications protocol, which regulates data movement between energy suppliers and distribution system operators. About 30 percent of complaints concerned customers who had to wait several months to receive invoices or to process a supplier change or move.
• “Finally, we have seen complaints and reports about access to phones or electronic devices to energy companies being cut in half, but we have not yet reached the level of accessibility and satisfaction we had before the energy crisis,” Houtmann and Bohit add.

Increase in complaints about Engie Electrabel

details: There were fewer complaints about almost all suppliers. Engie Electrabel is the exception.

• The number of complaints against Engie Electrabel increased from 4,991 in 2022 to 7,870 in 2023.
  • The Ombudsman points out that Engie Electrabel is the largest energy supplier in our country. So it is not surprising that this company has the highest number of complaints. However, no direct explanation can be found for this significant increase in numbers. For all types of complaints collected by the Ombudsman Service, Engie is always the energy supplier with the highest rate.
• The Ombudsman Service received 5,172 complaints about Luminus last year, compared to 5,172 complaints in 2022.
• In 2022, there are still 3,381 complaints about TotalEnergies. Last year, that number dropped to 3,046.
• Last year, there were 2,761 complaints about Eneco, compared to 3,230 complaints in 2022.
• The number of complaints about Mega decreased from 5,471 in 2022 to 1,714 in 2023.
  • This is an eye-catching drop. The youngest player recorded the highest number of complaints in 2022 and 2021.
• There were 721 complaints about Elegant last year. In 2022 there are still 991.
• Finally, the Ombudsman saw the number of complaints about Octa+ drop from 559 to 400.

Do not forget: The Consumer Ombudsman Service also published the 2023 figures earlier this week. This report shows that the number of complaints from consumers and businesses has risen to a record high.

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