Winter price cap increase could drive higher demand for customer support, warns MaxContact

Energy companies should prepare for rising customer vulnerability and a potential increase in complaints this winter now that the new price cap has taken effect.

On 1 October 2026, Ofgem’s new price cap took effect, raising the typical household bill on a default tariff by 4% (£60 a year). Customer service teams are likely to see more customers asking for help with bill repayments or financial hardship support.

Ofgem expects suppliers to treat all customers fairly and identify those in vulnerable circumstances as early as possible. But if issues are only picked up some time after a call, vulnerable customers could go without the right support.

Recent research commissioned by customer engagement platform MaxContact found that more than half (54%) of UK contact centre managers and directors have discovered a compliance breach outside their routine quality assurance sample, and 16% have done so more than once.

Ben Booth, CEO of MaxContact, says,

“The increased price cap comes at the start of the busiest and most challenging time of year for energy firms. Many customers will worry about how they can pay their energy bills, and providers should expect higher call volumes from people who may be asking for help and reassurance. We know how important it is for energy providers to show that they identify, support, and treat vulnerable customers fairly. Our research shows that many issues are being found outside routine quality assurance checks, which makes it harder to show that vulnerable customers are being supported consistently.”

As energy suppliers prepare for increased calls this winter, MaxContact believes now is the time to review whether their current quality assurance processes provide enough visibility into customer interactions. To help energy providers address this, MaxContact has launched Auto QA, a new capability within its Conversation Analytics platform. It enables organisations to run automated compliance checks across every eligible call, creating an evidence trail that supports audits, complaint investigations and regulatory reviews.

Quality assurance scoring is driven by each organisation's own existing QA scorecards and compliance criteria, with every assessment linked back to transcript evidence from the customer interaction.

Ben concludes,

“As winter approaches, now is the time for suppliers to strengthen their quality assurance processes so they can spot issues quickly and act on them before call volumes peak. If energy providers act now, they’ll be in a much stronger position to deliver better support to customers and intervene earlier if required.”

For more information about MaxContact’s Auto QA, please visit maxcontact.com

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Editors notes

MaxContact is the AI-powered customer engagement platform that transforms customer conversations into measurable business outcomes. Built around industry-leading intelligent dialling technology and smart automation, we help teams connect with the right customers at the right time, while AI-powered capabilities drive consistent performance improvements. Our platform delivers exceptional results - from 200-300% increases in contact rates to doubling sales teams conversion rates. Whether driving sales, improving retention, or optimising debt recovery, MaxContact empowers businesses to scale performance predictably. Trusted by growing companies handling millions of interactions annually and backed by 5-star UK-based support, MaxContact proves that smart technology amplifies human potential rather than replacing it.