Energy complaints have fallen back from crisis highs but a late year spike suggests problems have not gone away.

The Energy Ombudsman accepted 80,256 cases in 2025, down 14% from 92,938 the year before, a shift that points to stabilisation after the peak of the energy crisis.

That improvement is tempered by what happened at the end of the year.

Between October and December, cases rose 12% compared with the same period in 2024, breaking the downward trend and signalling that pressures on households and small businesses are still feeding through into disputes.

Billing remains the biggest flashpoint, accounting for 56% of complaints, with back billing cases largely unchanged at just over 3,200.

The data paints a picture of a market that has steadied but not settled. Consumers are still turning to the ombudsman in large numbers, and the consistency of volumes across the year shows underlying issues have not been fully resolved.

How suppliers handle complaints is also under scrutiny.

Companies correctly signposted customers to the ombudsman in just 48% of cases on average, although performance improved over the year to reach 55% by December. The gap between suppliers is wide, with some managing as little as 25% and others close to 70%.

Ministers are now looking to tighten the framework. Plans under consultation would halve the time before cases can be escalated, introduce automatic referrals and strengthen the ombudsman’s powers, including the potential for automatic compensation.

The aim is to reduce friction in the system and ensure customers can access redress more quickly when things go wrong.