Customer satisfaction with water tumbles amid all-sector stability

Water companies bucked the all-sector trend for stability in overall customer satisfaction compared to last January, by dropping 2 points to 68.7 out of 100 in this year’s UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) – the national barometer of customer satisfaction published twice a year by The Institute of Customer Service.

Of the 13 sectors measured, the overall rating for 12 stayed the same or moved by less than one point; only telecoms fell outside of this by losing 1.4 points. While utilities as a whole stayed on trend, moving from 69.5 last year to 70 this January, that masked differences between energy and water (see chart).

Satisfaction with energy companies rose by 2.6 points to 71, with average satisfaction improving in all dimensions measures. By contrast, satisfaction with water companies fell by 2 points to 68.7. The report noted this is 7.4 points below the UK all-sector average and 7.4 points below the sector’s highpoint in July 2022. The biggest drops in satisfaction were for measures relating to complaint handling, emotional connection and ethics.

Looking across all sectors, the January 2025 UKCSI was 76.1, almost the same level as a year ago (76) and 0.3 points higher than in July 2024. Utilities remained the lowest ranked sector (70), compared to non-food retail at the top (80.6).

The top five firms were: Timpson (87.2), Starling Bank, Nationwide, M&S Food, and John Lewis. This year there were no utilities in the top 50 company ranking, but four energy companies made it into the top 20 most improved list.