Energy Bill Complaint Letter Templates
Do not send a vague complaint. Pick the exact issue, attach the right evidence and ask for a specific correction.
Choose the template
The anatomy of a complaint that works
Every template on this page has the same six parts. If you write your own, keep the structure.
| Part | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The identifiers | So it reaches the right account immediately. | Account number, supply address, MPAN/MPRN. |
| 2. The single issue | One sentence. Not three problems. | “The bill dated 3 June uses an estimated reading where an actual reading was available.” |
| 3. The dated timeline | Removes any argument about what happened when. | A short table: date, what happened, evidence held. |
| 4. Numbered requests | Harder to answer with a paragraph of reassurance. | “1. Provide the reading history. 2. Confirm…” |
| 5. The remedy, with a number | You generally get what you asked for or less. | “Rebill on 41,208 and refund £186 to my bank account.” |
| 6. The undisputed amount and the escalation date | Removes their easiest counter, and sets a deadline. | “I have paid the £94 I accept. If unresolved by 3 August I will refer this to the Energy Ombudsman.” |
Part 6 does more work than the rest combined. A complaint that concedes what it should concede and names the date it escalates reads as someone who will follow through. Complaint handlers triage on exactly that signal.
The general-purpose complaint
Use this when your issue does not fit one of the specific templates, or as the covering structure for any of them.
Copy, fill in the brackets, send by email or the complaints form
Send it to the supplier's published complaints address, not general customer service. Every supplier has one in its complaints procedure, which it is required to publish.
What weakens a complaint letter
Multiple issues in one letter
Each one gets a shallower answer. Send separate complaints and reference each other if they are connected.
No specific remedy
You generally get what you asked for or less. Asking for nothing specific gets you an apology.
Disputing the whole balance
It shifts the conversation to your payment behaviour. Name what you accept.
Emotion instead of dates
Understandable, and it does not help. The dated timeline is what an investigator reads.
Threatening Ofgem
Ofgem does not handle individual complaints and complaint handlers know that. Name the Ombudsman instead — that one is real.
What to do instead
One issue, dated timeline, numbered asks, a figure for the remedy, the undisputed amount named and paid, and a date you will escalate.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use a template or write my own?
Use a template as a structure, then edit it to match your exact evidence and remedy.
What should every complaint include?
Account number, bill date, issue, evidence list, requested remedy and deadline for response.
Can I send one letter for multiple problems?
Only if they are closely related. Otherwise, split issues so the supplier can respond clearly.
Should I send a complaint by post or email?
Email, to the supplier's published complaints address. It timestamps itself, it is easy to forward to the Ombudsman later, and it produces the written record that decides these cases.
How specific should the remedy be?
As specific as you can make it, with a figure. “Rebill using the reading of 41,208 taken on 3 June and refund the £186 overcharge to my bank account” is something that can be granted line by line. “Please compensate me appropriately” is not.
What if they do not reply at all?
Chase in writing at day 14, ask at day 28 whether it is their final response, and refer to the Energy Ombudsman at eight weeks. Silence is itself a service failure and worth mentioning in the referral.
Official sources used for this page
BillDecoded translates official process and billing information into practical checks. It is not affiliated with the Ombudsman, Ofgem, Citizens Advice, Which? or any supplier.