Office of Gas and Electricity Markets

Ofgem is the UK's gas and electricity regulator. It licenses suppliers and network operators, sets the rules that protect households, administers the price cap and can fine companies that breach their licence conditions. It is a market regulator, not a complaints service. Ofgem does not decide individual billing disputes; the Energy Ombudsman does that.

What Ofgem does

• Licenses energy suppliers and network companies.
• Sets and updates the default tariff price cap for domestic customers.
• Enforces rules on billing, switching, smart meters, prepayment and vulnerability.
• Runs the Guaranteed Standards of Performance, which require payments when suppliers miss certain service standards.
• Investigates systemic failures and can impose financial penalties.
• Publishes data on supplier performance and complaints.

What it cannot do

Ofgem cannot order a supplier to refund your bill, cannot award you compensation for distress and cannot force a supplier to keep you as a customer. It also does not handle water, broadband or financial complaints. Those sit with their own regulators and ombudsmen.

When to contact Ofgem

Contact Ofgem when the problem is bigger than your account: a supplier that is ignoring the price cap, mis-selling tariffs, failing to honour the Warm Home Discount, or treating vulnerable customers badly across its customer base. Ofgem also wants evidence of systemic billing failures and smart meter problems that affect many households.

For an individual dispute, complain to the supplier first and allow eight weeks, or ask for a deadlock letter. Then take the case to the Energy Ombudsman, which can order an apology, a correction and compensation. Read how to complain to the Energy Ombudsman for the full process.

The price cap and standards

The price cap limits the amount a supplier can charge per unit and standing charge on a default tariff. It is not a cap on your total bill, because usage still drives the total. If you believe a supplier has breached the cap, compare the rates on your bill with the published cap for your region and payment method, then raise it with the supplier and keep the comparison.

The Guaranteed Standards of Performance cover specific failures, such as missing an appointment or failing to respond to a complaint within the set time. These payments are separate from any ombudsman award. Ask the supplier which standards apply and whether a payment has been triggered.

Evidence that helps

Keep bills, contract notices, meter readings and screenshots of your online account. If a supplier changed your tariff without consent, save the before-and-after prices. If a smart meter is faulty, record the dates and the readings it displayed. Ofgem and the ombudsman both work from documents, so a clear file is worth more than a long account of calls.