In March, John from Carmarthenshire contracted Octopus Energy to supply and install a solar battery in his garage, paying £3,275 for the service. During the installation, the company’s engineers damaged a concrete wheelchair ramp leading to the garage, which is vital for his wife, who has motor neurone disease and relies on an electric wheelchair for mobility. John reported the damage to Octopus Energy engineers on site and provided photographic evidence.

Despite assurances that the damage would be formally addressed, John received no response for four weeks. Subsequent follow-up emails to his customer service contact and other company addresses were met with repeated promises to escalate the issue, but no substantive reply arrived over the following four months. Due to the urgent need for accessibility, John had to pay for repairs to the ramp himself.

Following public attention to the case, Octopus Energy acknowledged the complaint and issued an apology to John. The company admitted that the complaint had not been handled appropriately at first and that multiple internal departments were involved, which delayed the response. Octopus Energy confirmed it made procedural changes to prevent similar delays in the future.

Octopus Energy offered John a goodwill payment of £503, including £203 to cover the ramp repair costs and additional compensation for the protracted handling of his complaint. The company said the incident was reported the day it occurred but acknowledged it should not have taken so long to reach a resolution.

Customer advocates recommend that when damage occurs during installation or service visits, consumers may seek reimbursement directly from the contracted company, which remains responsible regardless of who caused the damage. If complaints stall, customers are advised to contact the company’s helplines or send formal letters via recorded delivery. For vulnerable individuals or those with disabilities, many utility providers maintain priority services registers or dedicated helplines intended to expedite assistance.

John expressed deep frustration with Octopus Energy, a company that markets itself on high customer service standards, for failing to promptly resolve his complaint, highlighting the challenges faced by customers requiring essential accessibility accommodations.