How we handle your complaint

The Energy and Water Ombudsman handles complaints fairly. We are independent and do not take sides.

Our service is free.

Our process is simple and informal

We try to sort out complaints as quickly as we can.

Step 1: You contact your provider

Before we can help, you must contact your provider first. This gives them a chance to fix the problem.

If you have not contacted your provider yet, we will:

• give you their contact details, and
• ask you to contact them first.

Step 2: We contact your provider

Have you already contacted your provider? If the problem is not fixed, we will contact them.

We will:

• send your complaint to a contact person at the provider, and
• give the provider 10 business days to fix the problem with you.

We will tell you the date you can come back to us if the problem is not fixed.

Step 3: We look into your complaint

If the problem is still not fixed after 10 business days, contact us.

We will then decide what to do next.

We may:

• try to help you and the provider reach an agreement, or
• start an investigation.

If we investigate, we may:

• ask the provider for more information, and
• ask you for more information.

We will make sure you have a chance to tell your side of the story.

We can also get independent advice if needed.

What can happen next

At any time, you and the provider might agree on an outcome. Then we will close the complaint.

After looking at all the information, we may decide that:

• your complaint is supported. We will tell the provider to do something to fix the problem, or
• your complaint is not supported. We think the provider done the right thing.

If the complaint is not supported, we will explain this to you in writing.

If the provider does not fix a problem, we can make a decision. The decision tells the provider what to do. The provider must follow this decision if you agree to it.

At the end of the process, we will write to you with the outcome.

How long it takes

Some complaints are quick and we can tell you in a few days. More complex matters may take longer, up to several months.

When we are investigating, we need to give the provider time to answer our questions. Our rules say that we need to give the provider up to 28 days.

We will:

• keep in touch with you,
• let you know about progress, and
• tell you if your complaint will take longer than usual.

Review of your complaint

Are you unhappy with how we handled your complaint? Talk to your case officer first. They can explain what happened and why.

If you are still unhappy, you can ask for a review. This means someone else will look at how your complaint was handled.