As Britons struggle to make ends meet with rising energy costs, we wanted to understand whether Utility companies were treating customers fairly during this time.

Between April and September 2022, food parcels distributed in the UK increased by 52% compared to 2019, as reported by the Trussell Trust’s latest report.

Chief Executive, Emma Revie, says “These new statistics show that, even in summer months, people are struggling to afford these essentials and we are expecting that this winter will be the hardest yet for food banks and the people they support. This is not right.”

This devastating statistic, paired with the terrifying increase in energy costs, paints a bleak picture for UK consumers.

While consumers were figuring out how to balance the budget sheets at home, news emerged that British Gas’ holding company, Centrica, posted record profits. A staggering five-times higher than the same period in 2021. Not surprisingly, this caused an online outrage from consumers. We uncovered that this particular incident was a turning point in consumer perceptions towards their energy suppliers.

Unstructured partnered with DataEQ to determine the impact on Energy Suppliers’ reputations and operations. We analysed emotional consumer conversations on social media, and then, we went one step further. We looked at how these suppliers would fare against Ofgem’s Standards of Conduct framework and if they are treating customers fairly during this cost of living crisis.

Who were the winners and who were the losers? Request a download of the report below to find out.