Complaint statistics

If you have a concern or issue you can make a complaint about an energy retailer (also known as electricity retailer or natural gas marketer), or your electricity or natural gas utility. When you speak, it’s our job to listen.

The following are charts showing the complaints that customers have filed with us.

 

Consumer contact and complaint statistics

 

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Consumer complaints regarding electricity utilities and unit sub-meter providers

Top 5 consumer complaints in 2022 regarding electricity utilities (by number of complaints)

Complaint	Description	Number of complaints
1. Billing	Errors, rates, equal billing	131
2. Disconnections / Reconnections	Improper procedure followed, inadequate notice	122
3. Load Connections	Cost of connecting, refusal to connect or continue to connect	25
4. Customer Service	Utility failed to resolve the complaint, failed to contact customer	22
5. Operations	Unplanned outages and emergency conditions, quality of supply (power surges)	16

Top 5 consumer complaints in 2022 regarding unit sub-meter providers (by number of complaints)

Complaint	Description	Number of complaints
1. Billing	Errors, rates, equal billing	133
2. Disconnections	Improper procedure followed, inadequate notice	66
3. Security Deposits	Amount of security deposit, payment of deposit, security deposit conditions	8
4. Customer Accounts	Opening, closing and transferring accounts	7
5. Customer Service	Utility failed to resolve the complaint, failed to contact the customer	7

 

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Consumer complaints regarding natural gas utilities

Top 5 consumer complaints in 2022 regarding natural gas utilities (by number of complaints)

Complaint	Description	Number of complaints
1. Billing	Errors, rates, equal billing	301
2. Meters	Data collection, installation, customer access to meter information	47
3. Customer Service	Utility failed to resolve the complaint, failed to contact the customer	46
4. Disconnections / Reconnections	Improper procedure followed, inadequate notice	46
5. Load Connections	Cost of connecting, refusal to connect or continue to connect	16

 

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General consumer enquiries

Top 5 consumer enquiries in 2022 not related to specific regulated companies (by number of enquiries)

Enquiry	Description	Number of enquiries
1. Low-income assistance programs	Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP) and Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)	819
2. Targeted scam	Claiming to be OEB, claiming affliliation with a government program	375
3. OEB's role and decisions	Mandate, hearing process, website, disagree with a decision, comments on an application	155
4. Electricity rates	Regulated price plan, electricity rates	138
5. Market participant enquiries	Enquiries from licensees and consultants	35

Top 5 consumer enquiries in 2022 regarding non-OEB regulated entities companies (by number of enquiries)

Enquiry	Description	Number of enquiries
1. Water heater rental and sales	Ministry of Government and Consumer Services	113
2. Water, propane, oil and gasoline	Water - Local municipality Propane and oil contracts - Ministry of Government and Consumer Services Gasoline - the Competition Bureau (a federal agency)	112
3. Furnace / HVAC	Ministry of Government and Consumer Services	67
4. Home protection / insurance plans	Home protection – Ministry of Government and Consumer Services Insurance – Financial Services Commission of Ontario	28
5. Energy audits	Audits by home services provider - Ministry of Government and Consumer Services Audits concerning incentives and qualifying for same - Save On Energy, part of the IESO	10

 

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Complaints against energy retailers (by company)

The following scorecard shows how each retailer’s rate of complaints compares with the average for the whole sector. These are complaints that consumers have filed with us about active* retailers. We measure this per 1,000 contracts so that large and small companies can be compared against each other.

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Complaints against energy retailers (by category)

The following scorecard shows the number of complaints consumers have filed with us about active* retailers over the past 12 months ending December 31, 2022. Complaints are grouped into categories** that reflect the different stages of the contract process.

• whether the salesperson followed the rules for door-to-door marketing and advertising – e.g. they are not allowed to sign up a consumer at the door or leave a contract behind
• how the salesperson handled the sales call – whether they properly identified themselves; whether the consumer was given the required documents (OEB disclosure statement and price comparison) to help them make an informed decision
• whether the retailer followed the rules for internet marketing
• whether the verification stage of the process was carried out properly

• whether a consumer was aware they were signed up
• whether the consumer is paying the rate agreed to in the contract
• whether the retailer followed the rules for cancelling a contract – e.g. if a consumer was allowed to cancel; if cancellation charges were unfairly applied
• whether the retailer applied the correct cancellation rules and charges that were in effect when the contract was signed – e.g. the ECPA rules are different for contracts signed before 2011, between 2011-2016 and starting in 2017
• how a consumer felt their complaint was handled or if the retailer didn’t respond to the consumer

• whether the retailer followed the rules for renewing a contract – e.g. if the contract was renewed without the consumer’s consent or if the consumer was properly notified according to the timelines set out in the rules