Beleaguered Toto Energy issues apology for customer service issues

In a personal message posted on its website, chief executive Jim Butler says it moved its customer service team into its Brighton offices earlier this year, but 'during the transition' the supplier fell 'short of the service standards you expect'.

Ofgem says it has been in discussions with Toto Energy about the situation and - following the regulator's intervention - Toto Energy is now taking steps to 'improve the quality of its customer service'.

The small supplier has been plagued by customer service issues in recent months. In June, we reported on a range of complaints from furious Toto Energy customers, with many finding it difficult to contact the supplier, while others saw direct debit payments being taken months after leaving the company or struggled to get their credit balances refunded.

We’ve long warned about Toto Energy on our Cheap Energy Club citing its customer service record, with the firm rated 'poor' by an alarming 92% of our users in our latest poll.

If you're unhappy with Toto, consider switching supplier – see our to do a comparison and see if you can save.

What are Toto Energy doing to improve?

According to the supplier's statement, Toto Energy is increasing the size of its customer service team and changing the way its direct debit process works.

We don't know exactly how it's changing its direct debit process - we've contacted Toto Energy but we've yet to hear back.

The supplier has also committed to cutting the average call waiting time to under five minutes by the end of July, and 'further improvements in the following months'.

What does Toto Energy's statement say?

The statement, from Toto Energy's CEO Jim Butler, says: "Earlier this year we set out to improve our service by moving our Customer Care team into our Brighton offices. During the transition, we have fallen short of the service standards you expect. We want you to know we’re sorry, but we also want you to know what we’re doing to make things right:

"1. We’re rapidly increasing the size of our Customer Care team. We’re doing this to reduce the time you wait to speak to one of our advisors, to receive an e-mail back from us or to chat online with us.

"2. We are introducing more and better options for customers to self-serve on our website.

"3. We’re changing our direct debit process to make it easier to understand.

"We are committed to an average call waiting time of under 5 minutes by the end of July with further improvements in the following months. "

What does Ofgem say?

In a statement, the regulator said: " Following our intervention, Toto Energy is taking a series of steps to improve the quality of its customer service.

"We welcome the fact that Toto Energy has apologised to its customers, has set a target of reducing average call wait times to below 5 minutes by the end of July, and has committed to further improvements thereafter. We will continue to work closely with Toto Energy to secure further improvements."