Ofgem switching reforms

[ALEO Admin]

Ofgem has announced that it is pushing ahead with several reforms which it hopes will make it easier for those who switch energy supplier to get a better deal while protecting those who don’t from being charged too much.

Ofgem is launching a trial in the coming weeks of a simplified collective switch aimed at consumers on the worst deals who have not switched for more than three years.

Ofgem's press release, dated 12 February 2018, says that:

"around 50,000 of a large supplier’s disengaged customers will be offered a better deal which the consumer partner appointed to organise the collective switch has negotiated."

"Unlike other collective switches, these customers will not need to enter their existing tariff details for their personal savings from switching to be calculated, making it easier to take part."

Ofgem is also launching a new trial involving over 250,000 customers on expensive deals who will receive up to two letters or emails from their supplier telling them about three available cheaper deals, including from rivals. This follows a similar smaller trial run by Ofgem last year which resulted in a trebling of switching rates.

Ofgem is also giving the go ahead to a programme which will allow people to switch by the end of the next working day and reduce the number of switches which go wrong.

For more details, see:
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-a ... etter-deal