We can deal with complaints about bills for your gas and electricity services, complaints about an energy supplier's sales activity and about problems when changing your supplier.

If your complaint is within our terms of reference, the Ombudsman will consider whether the member company must take any action to put things right for you. If the Ombudsman decides to make an award, and you accept it, then your supplier has agreed that it will keep to the decision and take the action that the Ombudsman has required in her final decision.  The Ombudsman may ask your company to provide any or all of the following:

• a service or some practical action that will benefit you
• an apology or explaination
• a financial award.

When deciding upon an award it is not the Ombudsman's role to punish suppliers and if a financial award is required this will be the amount that she considers to be the right amount to settle a particular dispute.  She can award as much as £5000 (including VAT)

So that the same problem is less likely to happen again, the Ombudsman may also recommend that your energy supplier makes changes to its policies or procedures.

There are some issues which the Ombudsman cannot look into. These are set out in our terms of reference