Affect Energy Complaints: How to Complain and Escalate

Affect energy complaints follow the same regulated process as any UK domestic energy supplier: you complain to the supplier first, and if it is not resolved within 8 weeks (or you reach deadlock sooner) you can escalate free of charge to the Energy Ombudsman. Affect Energy is part of Octopus Energy, so its complaints are handled under Octopus’s process and Ofgem’s Standards of Conduct.

Billing and pricing sit behind most household energy complaints, and the reader most affected is usually someone on a standard variable tariff paying above the price cap floor who wants their bill fixed and their costs cut. how to make and escalate a complaint, what a deadlock letter is, whether to keep paying while a dispute runs, and how switching fits in. We draw on Ofgem, Citizens Advice and the Energy Ombudsman for the process and figures.

Last updated: July 2026

Written by the Free Price Compare editorial team | Reviewed July 2026

How do I make a complaint to Affect Energy?

To make a complaint to Affect Energy, contact the supplier directly in writing or by phone and clearly label it as a formal complaint. Affect Energy is part of Octopus Energy, so complaints are managed through Octopus’s customer service team and its published complaints procedure. Put your account number, a short summary of the problem and the outcome you want in one message, whether that is a corrected bill, a refund or a goodwill payment. Every UK energy supplier must have a free complaints procedure under Ofgem rules, and the supplier must acknowledge your complaint and try to resolve it. Keeping a written trail (email or the supplier’s messaging system) makes escalation far easier later, because the Energy Ombudsman will ask for evidence of what was said and when.

If you are also weighing up whether the supplier is right for you, our Affect Energy supplier guide covers its tariffs and service in more detail.

What drives most UK energy billing complaints?

Billing and pricing drive most UK energy complaints, with billing and meter reading together causing around 60% of all complaints and roughly 70% of complaints citing billing-related issues, according to Ofgem‘s January 2026 reporting. The single largest sub-issue is smart meter problems at 31%, followed by bill errors and pricing disputes at 29% each. Among households that are dissatisfied, high or expensive bills are the most common trigger, so many complaints are really about affordability rather than a specific fault. Understanding this helps you frame your own complaint: if your issue is an inaccurate estimated bill or a smart meter not sending readings, name it precisely, because those are the exact categories suppliers are measured on and are most likely to fix quickly.

• Smart meter faults, such as a meter that has gone “dumb” and stopped sending automatic readings.
• Estimated bills that overcharge because no actual meter reading has been used.
• Direct debit amounts set too high or too low for your real usage.
• Delays applying a switch, a refund, or a Warm Home Discount or other credit.

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How long before I can go to the Energy Ombudsman?

You can take an energy complaint to the Energy Ombudsman once 8 weeks have passed since you first complained to your supplier, or sooner if the supplier issues a deadlock letter. The Energy Ombudsman is a free, independent service that reviews unresolved complaints about domestic energy suppliers and can order a supplier to apologise, correct a bill, or pay compensation. You do not pay to use it, and using it does not stop you from switching supplier in the meantime. The 8-week clock starts from the date you first raised the complaint, not from any later chaser, so it matters to keep a record of that original date. If the supplier fixes the problem to your satisfaction within 8 weeks, there is no need to escalate.

Before escalating, it is worth checking your Ofgem rights when switching energy suppliers, because you keep the right to complain about a supplier even after you have moved away from it.

What is a deadlock letter and when do I get one?

A deadlock letter is a formal written statement from your energy supplier confirming that it has reached the end of its complaints process and can do no more to resolve your dispute. A deadlock letter lets you go to the Energy Ombudsman straight away, without waiting the full 8 weeks. Suppliers usually issue one when they have made a final offer you have rejected, or when both sides accept there is no further movement. You do not always need a deadlock letter to escalate, because the 8-week route works on its own, but a deadlock letter is useful if the supplier says it has closed the complaint before 8 weeks have passed. If you disagree with a “final response” that closes your case early, ask for a deadlock letter in writing so you can move to the Ombudsman immediately.

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Should I keep paying my bill while my complaint is open?

You should keep paying the undisputed part of your bill while a complaint is open, because withholding payment can push your account into arrears and weaken your case. If you dispute a specific charge, pay what you accept you owe and keep a written note explaining why you are withholding the rest. UK household energy debt reached a record £4.48 billion in Q3 2025, the twelfth consecutive quarterly record, according to Ofgem‘s January 2026 reporting, so suppliers are under pressure over arrears and are more likely to act on a debt-related complaint. Stopping payment entirely can trigger debt collection or affect your ability to switch, which is why paying the undisputed amount protects both your finances and your negotiating position.

Should I leave my energy company while trying to escalate?

You can switch energy supplier while a complaint is still open, and doing so does not cancel your right to have the complaint resolved or escalated to the Energy Ombudsman. Your old supplier remains responsible for the period you were with it, so an unresolved billing dispute follows the account, not you. Switching can be sensible if the underlying problem is cost rather than a specific fault, because the cheapest fixed deals have recently sat well below the price cap, making a move financially worthwhile again. If your complaint is about ongoing poor service, moving to a better-rated supplier removes the future risk while the past dispute is still settled through the complaints process.

If cost is your main concern, it helps to understand what a fair price looks like. Compare your unit rate and standing charge against the regional energy prices in your area, and look at how seasonal changes affect UK gas prices before you judge whether a bill is unusually high.

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Is Affect Energy the same as Octopus Energy?

Affect Energy is part of Octopus Energy, which means its accounts and complaints are handled within the wider Octopus group rather than by a fully separate company. For customers, this matters because the complaints process, contact channels and service standards are those of the Octopus operation. When you escalate an Affect Energy complaint, you use the same regulated 8-week and deadlock routes that apply across all domestic suppliers under Ofgem’s Standards of Conduct. If you signed up under the Affect brand and are unsure who to contact, treat correspondence from either brand name as part of the same account, and keep all reference numbers together so nothing is missed during escalation.

For a wider view of who supplies UK homes, our guide to the big six energy suppliers explains how the market is structured.

Are complaints getting better or worse across the market?

Domestic energy complaints are at their lowest level since 2022, averaging 0.9 complaints per 100 customer accounts in Q3 2025, according to Ofgem‘s January 2026 reporting, with the industry complaint rate improving by roughly 30% over the year. The improvement has been driven largely by better billing accuracy and more stable smart meters rather than by falling prices. Performance varies sharply by supplier size: large suppliers improved by around 30%, small suppliers had the lowest complaint rates on average, but medium-sized suppliers worsened by around a third over the same period. Customer satisfaction reached an all-time high of 82% in January 2026, yet record household debt shows many people are content with service but stressed by cost. That gap suggests affordability complaints could rise again if prices climb.

Before you switch to escape poor service, it is worth checking a supplier’s track record. Our energy supplier customer service ratings show how providers compare on how they handle problems.

What can the Energy Ombudsman do for you?

The Energy Ombudsman can order your supplier to apologise, correct or re-bill your account, take a specified action, and pay compensation, and its decision is binding on the supplier but not on you. The service is independent and free, and Citizens Advice reports that around 14 million UK households receive below-average energy service, so escalation exists precisely for cases the supplier will not fix. If you accept the Ombudsman’s decision, the supplier must carry it out; if you reject it, you keep other options such as the courts. Realistically, the best-case outcome in a straightforward billing dispute is a corrected bill plus a modest goodwill payment, rather than a large windfall. Get free, independent help framing your case from gov.uk signposting to Citizens Advice, which supports consumers with energy problems.

Compare energy deals from UK suppliers

• Ofgem Rights When Switching Energy Suppliers in the UK
• Energy Supplier Customer Service Ratings
• New Energy Tariffs Launched By Affect Energy
• Understanding How Cancellation Affects Energy Fees
• Affect Energy Supplier Guide – FreePriceCompare

Information correct as of 20 July 2026. Prices, tariffs, policy details and providers change frequently, so please check the latest details before making a decision. This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice. Free Price Compare is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).