Guaranteed Standards of Performance

Missed Appointment Compensation

How to claim your £30 for every appointment your supplier missed

Key right

You are entitled to £30 for every appointment your supplier or network operator misses. This payment should be automatic — you should not have to chase it.

What are the Guaranteed Standards?

The Guaranteed Standards of Performance are a set of rules that require energy suppliers and network operators to make automatic compensation payments when they fail to meet specific service standards. These are not discretionary — they are legally mandated payments that you are entitled to receive without having to negotiate or escalate.

The missed appointment standard

Under the Guaranteed Standards, your supplier or network operator must give you at least a half-day appointment window (morning or afternoon) and must keep that appointment. If they fail to keep the appointment or cancel with less than 24 hours notice (except for genuine emergencies), they must pay you £30. This applies to meter installations, smart meter upgrades, and engineer visits.

Supplier vs network operator appointments

Both energy suppliers and distribution network operators (DNOs — the companies that manage the physical network, not your commercial supplier) are subject to the Guaranteed Standards. If an Openreach or network engineer fails to keep an appointment, the same £30 rule applies. You may need to identify which company was responsible for the appointment to direct your complaint correctly.

The payment should be automatic

The £30 compensation is supposed to be paid automatically within 10 working days of the missed appointment. You should not have to ask for it. If you have not received the payment, this is an additional breach — you should complain and specifically reference that the automatic payment was not made. Ofgem takes failures to pay Guaranteed Standards seriously.

Multiple missed appointments

Each missed appointment attracts a separate £30 payment. If your supplier or network operator has missed three appointments in relation to a single issue — for example, three failed attempts to install a smart meter — you are entitled to £90 in total. Keep a record of each appointment: the date, the agreed time window, and what happened.

💰 What compensation can I claim?

£30 per missed appointment under the Guaranteed Standards of Performance. If multiple appointments have been missed, each one attracts a separate £30 payment. If the payment is not made automatically, you can claim it through a formal complaint.

What to do - step by step

1

Confirm the appointment was missed

Gather written confirmation of the appointment time. Note the date and time window and whether any notice of cancellation was given.

2

Check your account for the £30 payment

Log in to your account or check your statements to see if the £30 was automatically credited within 10 working days.

3

Contact your supplier to claim

If the payment has not been made, contact your supplier citing the Guaranteed Standards. Keep a record of this contact.

4

Write a formal complaint

If your supplier disputes the missed appointment or refuses to pay, submit a formal written complaint. GL Complaint can generate a letter citing the Guaranteed Standards.

5

Escalate to the Ombudsman

If your complaint is not resolved within 8 weeks, escalate to the Energy Ombudsman for a free, binding decision.

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📎 Evidence to gather

  • Written confirmation of the appointment (letter, email, or SMS)
  • Your own records of when you waited at home
  • Any communications from your supplier explaining or denying the missed appointment
  • Evidence that the £30 payment was not credited to your account
  • Details of all missed appointments with dates and reference numbers
  • Bank statements if any payment was received (to verify amount and timing)

Free escalation available. If your complaint is not resolved within 8 weeks, you can escalate to the Energy Ombudsman at no cost. Their decisions are binding on your supplier.