Your Consumer Rights

You have legal protections whether you are dealing with a bank, energy supplier, broadband provider or insurer. Here is what UK law says companies owe you -- and how to use it when things go wrong.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015

This is the backbone of UK consumer protection. It replaced three older laws and gives you clear rights when you buy goods, services or digital content from any business.

Goods

Anything you buy must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described. If a product fails within 30 days, you have a right to a full refund. Between 30 days and 6 months, the retailer must attempt a repair or replacement before they can offer a partial refund. After 6 months, the burden shifts to you to prove the fault was present at purchase.

Services

Any service you pay for -- from broadband installation to insurance claims handling -- must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time, and at a reasonable price (if no price was agreed upfront). If the service falls short, you can ask for a repeat performance or a price reduction.

Digital Content

Downloads, streaming subscriptions, apps and online services must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. If faulty digital content damages your device, the provider is liable.

FCA Consumer Duty (2023)

If your complaint involves a bank, insurer, investment firm or any other FCA-regulated business, the Consumer Duty is the most important regulation to know about. It came into force in July 2023 and sets a higher standard than anything before it.

The Duty requires firms to:

  • Act in good faith towards retail customers
  • Avoid causing foreseeable harm
  • Help customers pursue their financial objectives

In practice, this means your bank cannot hide behind confusing terms and conditions. Your insurer cannot reject a valid claim using small-print exclusions they never clearly explained. If you feel a financial services firm has treated you unfairly, reference the Consumer Duty in your complaint -- it carries real weight with the Financial Ombudsman.

Tip: Use this phrase in your complaint

"I believe this falls short of the standards required by the FCA's Consumer Duty, which obliges firms to act in good faith and avoid foreseeable harm to customers."

Ofgem Standards of Conduct (Energy)

If you are complaining about an energy supplier, Ofgem's Standards of Conduct require them to treat you fairly. Key protections include:

  • Accurate billing -- your supplier must make every effort to bill you correctly, using real meter readings rather than estimates where possible
  • Back-billing limit -- if the supplier undercharges you due to their own error, they can only back-bill for 12 months (not longer)
  • Vulnerable customer protections -- extra safeguards if you are elderly, disabled, in financial hardship, or have a long-term health condition
  • Switching rights -- you must be able to switch supplier within 5 working days, and the old supplier cannot block or delay the process

If your energy supplier breaches these standards, reference Ofgem's Standards of Conduct in your complaint. If they fail to resolve it within 8 weeks, escalate to the Energy Ombudsman.

Ofcom General Conditions (Broadband and Telecoms)

Broadband and mobile providers must comply with Ofcom's General Conditions. The ones that matter most when you complain:

  • Speed guarantees -- if your provider promised a minimum speed and consistently fails to deliver it, you can exit your contract penalty-free
  • Contract transparency -- all key terms including price, speed and contract length must be clearly stated before you sign up
  • Complaint handling -- providers must have a complaints code of practice and tell you how to escalate to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme
  • Automatic compensation -- since 2019, major broadband providers must automatically compensate you for delayed repairs, missed engineer appointments, and delayed installations

The Complaint Escalation Process

Regardless of sector, the escalation process follows the same three-step structure across all regulated UK industries:

1 Complain to the company 2 Wait 8 weeks (or get final response) 3 Escalate to the ombudsman
  1. Complain directly to the company -- always start with the company's formal complaints team (not general customer service). Put your complaint in writing with dates, account numbers and what you want them to do.
  2. Wait for their response -- companies have 8 weeks to send you a "final response". Many resolve complaints much sooner. If they reject your complaint or fail to respond, they must issue a deadlock letter.
  3. Escalate to the ombudsman -- if you are unhappy with the final response (or 8 weeks have passed with no resolution), contact the relevant ombudsman. The service is free and the ombudsman's decision is binding on the company.

What To Include in Every Complaint

Regardless of who you are complaining to, your complaint will be stronger if you include:

  • Your full name and account details
  • Specific dates of every relevant interaction
  • What went wrong and how it affected you (financial loss, stress, inconvenience)
  • What you want the company to do (refund, compensation, apology, change of practice)
  • A reference to the relevant regulation (Consumer Rights Act, Consumer Duty, Ofgem standards, Ofcom conditions)
  • A clear deadline (e.g. "I expect a response within 14 days")

Our free complaint letter generator creates a professional letter that includes all of these elements automatically.

Further Reading

How to Write a Complaint Letter When to Contact the Ombudsman Switching Providers Guide UK Regulators and Ombudsmen