Shell Energy generated highest level of broadband complaints, says Ofcom

Shell Energy continues to generate the most broadband and landline complaints, according to the latest data published by Ofcom.

While overall complaint volumes during this quarter were broadly in line with the previous three months, the number of complaints received about Shell Energy are three times higher than the industry average.

Meanwhile, Sky continues to attract the fewest broadband and landline complaints.

Says Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s Group Director for Networks and Communications:

“Overall complaint numbers are stable, but these figures show some providers need to step up. And with household budgets being squeezed during the cost-of-living crisis, people will be taking a closer look at their provider to make sure they’re still the right one for them.”

Mobile

BT Mobile and Virgin Mobile are the most complained-about pay-monthly mobile operators, with four and three complaints respectively per 100,000 customers. Complaints are primarily about customers’ experience when changing provider (BT Mobile) and how their complaint had been handled (Virgin Mobile). Tesco Mobile, EE, Sky Mobile and iD Mobile attracted the fewest complaints in the mobile sector.

Shell Energy is by far the worst-performing broadband provider, with 31 complaints per 100,000 customers – almost three times higher than the industry average. The most complained-about issue was how it handles customers’ complaints. Vodafone, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Plusnet also performed worse than the industry average.

Sky is the best-performing broadband provider, attracting three complaints per 100,00 customers. It was followed by EE (six), BT (eight) and NOW Broadband (nine), all below the industry average of 11 complaints per 100,000 customers.

Home phone

Again, Shell Energy is by far the worst-performing provider, attracting 23 complaints per 100,000 customers – four times higher than the industry average. Two in five of these complaints are about how it had handled complaints. TalkTalk, Virgin Media, Vodafone and NOW Broadband also attracted more complaints than the industry average of six per 100,000 customers.

Sky is the best performing home phone provider, attracting two complaints per 100,000 customers, compared to an industry average of six.

Pay-TV

Virgin Media continues to attract the highest volume of pay-TV complaints, with ten complaints per 100,000 customers, compared to an industry average of four. The most common reason for these was how it handled customers’ complaints. Sky received the fewest pay-TV complaints.