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How to complain

Complaints procedure

To complain about the service provided by your energy or water company, follow the steps below.

Step 1 - In all instances, if you have a complaint/query, your first point of contact should be your utility supplier.

Step 2 - If your supplier does not solve the complaint/query, or if you are not happy with their response, please contact the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland. The Consumer Council has been empowered to help consumers with electricity, gas, water and sewerage complaints arising in your home, industry or business.

Step 3 - If the Consumer Council is unable to deal with your complaint/query, or resolve the matter to your complete satisfaction, they may be able to refer it to us for determination, provided it is something we have the legal authority to make a determination on.

The Utility Regulator and the Consumer Council cannot deal with problems arising from the sale and use of electrical or gas appliances or with electrical work carried out in your home.

For more information on the Utility Regulator’s role in dealing with complaints please refer to our Resolution of Complaints, Disputes and Appeals Policy.

The Consumer Council

The Consumer Council is an independent statutory body that aims to promote and safeguard the interests of all consumers in Northern Ireland. They can provide free, impartial information and handle complaints on behalf of consumers who have been unable to resolve problems directly with their energy or water supplier or meter operator.

Address: The Consumer Council, Floor 3, Seatem House, 28-32 Alfred Street, Belfast, BT2 8EN
Telephone: 0800 121 6022
Fax: 028 9025 1663
Email: complaints@consumercouncil.org.uk
www.consumercouncil.org.uk

What happens when the Utility Regulator investigates a matter you have raised?
Provided your complaint/query is one the Utility Regulator can make a formal determination on, we will consider all the relevant facts and proceed in the following manner:

  • We will contact the company with specific questions about your complaint/query and discuss how it can be resolved
  • We will work impartially in order to arrive at a fair and satisfactory outcome.
  • We will aim to keep you fully briefed.
  • We will attempt to issue a determination on each complaint/query in as short a time as possible. However, some determinations can take four months or more to issue.

Our contact details are: 

  • Post: The Utility Regulator, Queens House, 14 Queen Street, Belfast BT1 6ED  
  • Email:info@uregni.gov.uk                                                                                                                                                                          
  • Telephone: 028 9031 1575

What if I’m not satisfied with the service I receive from the Utility Regulator?

The Utility Regulator is committed to providing value and sustainability in energy and water, always acting in the interest of the consumer.  However if you are unhappy with the Utility Regulator’s procedures or the way in which the Utility Regulator has operated them, please refer to our complaints procedure which details how you can seek a solution to your complaint.

Northern Ireland Ombudsman

The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman is the independent body providing an impartial and free examination of complaints about a range of public services.  You can complain to the Ombudsman if you are unhappy with the service provided by a government department/agency or public body. Public bodies include all local councils, education and library boards, organisations providing Health and Social Care (HSC) Services in Northern Ireland and prison health care.

Address: Progressive House, 33 Wellington Place,Belfast, BT1 6HN
Telephone: 0800 34 34 24
Email: nipso@nipso.org.uk
https://nipso.org.uk/nipso/