Npower

Scottish Power is facing a ban on sales activity unless it must meet tough targets Ofgem has set to fix the firm's customer services problems, it's been announced today.

Ofgem has written to the big energy suppliers demanding they take action on the poor handling of complaints after the regulator found the average customer had to contact their supplier six times before an issue was resolved.

Ovo Energy has topped our poll for customer service for the second time running with more than 80% of its users rating its service as "great". At the other end of the scale, Npower remains last for the third poll running.

Energy regulator Ofgem is launching an investigation into how energy suppliers communicate with customers in debt, following a spate of misleading letters purporting to be from separate debt collection agencies.

Energy prices are unlikely to rise before the end of the year but there is a threat of increases over the next few years, according to predictions from industry experts.

Halifax, Lloyds TSB and NatWest have been exposed as being as bad as Wonga when it comes to sending customers misleading debt demands purporting to be from external solicitors or debt collection firms.

MoneySavingExpert.com has seen another, even more disingenuous letter sent by Npower that purports to be from an external debt recovery firm.

Npower has been told by Ofgem it must meet strict targets to fix billing problems and to improve its complaints procedure or face a curb on sales, after it sent ex-customers huge bills months and in some cases over a year after they'd left the firm.

Big six energy provider Npower has agreed to some of MoneySavingExpert.com's calls to wipe ex-customers' bills after it came under fire for sending former users huge demands for cash months after they'd left the firm.