Guidance & Help

Information to help you complete your EO registration requirements

Energy Ombudsman Disputes — How It Works
From 1 April 2025, the Energy Ombudsman can accept heat network disputes. Before a consumer can escalate to the Ombudsman: 1. The consumer must first complain directly to the heat supplier. 2. The supplier has 8 weeks from the date of the complaint to resolve the issue. 3. If the supplier cannot resolve it within 8 weeks, or issues a deadlock letter before then, the consumer may escalate to the Energy Ombudsman. Your organisation must have a clear complaints handling procedure that explains this process to residents.
What Are Billing/Reporting/Complaints System Access Contacts?
The Energy Ombudsman may need access to your billing, reporting, and complaints systems as part of investigating a dispute. You need to provide: • Billing & Reporting Access Contact — the person who can give the EO read access to billing records, payment history, and reporting dashboards. • Complaints System Access Contact — the person who can give the EO access to your complaints management system (e.g. CRM, ticketing system) so they can review complaint history. • Customer Service Contact — the contact details residents actually see and use to make complaints. These should be named individuals who can respond within 2 working days to an EO access request.
Sample EO Signposting Wording
Include wording similar to this in your complaints handling procedure and resident communications: "If we have not resolved your complaint within 8 weeks, or if we have issued you with a deadlock letter, you can refer your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman. The Energy Ombudsman is a free and independent service. Contact the Energy Ombudsman: Website: www.energyombudsman.org Phone: 0330 440 1624 Email: enquiry@energyombudsman.org Post: Energy Ombudsman, PO Box 966, Warrington, WA4 9DF" Ensure this wording appears in: • Your written complaints handling procedure • Any welcome pack or resident handbook • Your website (if applicable) • Final response letters to complaints
What Good Looks Like — Complaints Handling Checklist
  • Clear written complaints procedure available to all residents
  • Multiple complaint channels offered (email, phone, post, online portal)
  • Acknowledgement within 5 working days of receiving a complaint
  • Named complaint handler assigned at each escalation stage
  • Stage 1 response target: 10 working days
  • Stage 2 (escalation) response target: 20 working days
  • Deadlock letter issued when resolution is not possible
  • EO signposting included in procedure and final response letters
  • 8-week rule clearly communicated to the consumer
  • Records of all complaints and outcomes maintained for 6 years
  • Regular review of complaints for trends and service improvement
  • Staff trained on the procedure at least annually
Deadlock Letter — What to Include
A deadlock letter should be issued when you have exhausted your internal complaints process and cannot resolve the complaint to the consumer's satisfaction. It should include: • A clear statement that this is a deadlock letter • A summary of the complaint and the steps taken to resolve it • The reason the complaint remains unresolved • Information about the consumer's right to escalate to the Energy Ombudsman • Full EO contact details (as above) • A statement that the consumer has 12 months from the date of the deadlock letter to escalate The letter should be sent by the most reliable method available (email preferred, with postal copy if requested).