Charity concerns heard by Ofgem

A North West charity working to support people with energy issues has told Ofgem of its concerns – and improvements are already being made.

Energy Projects Plus, which works across Liverpool and the surrounding area, met with Ofgem Chief Executive Jonathan Brearley earlier this year to outline their experiences with energy providers.

Issues around inconsistencies in the customer service and customer journey were highlighted, with the charity feeling as though their concerns were heard and acted upon by Ofgem.

Peter Owen, Energy Projects Plus’s Chief Executive, said:

“We wanted to demonstrate what it’s like at the coalface. As CEO of Ofgem, Mr Brearley hears a lot about what suppliers are facing, however it is important he hears what’s going on at the coalface as the two experiences can be miles apart.

“One of the biggest issues we raised was call wait times. It’s simply not practical to be waiting 45 minutes on the phone to speak to someone.

“Inconsistency of the advice and support people receive is also a big thing, not necessarily across different suppliers but within individual suppliers. We can have different experiences depending on who we get through to at an organisation. One day you might get good service, but another day it could be totally different, so there’s a definite training issue.

“Our advisers are knowledgeable about supplier obligations so can raise things on calls with suppliers but if a customer calls up, they may get different information and aren’t in a position to challenge it.

“When people are calling up saying they can’t afford their energy bills, the suppliers have an obligation to offer support. People are in real need of assistance, so if a supplier is leaving them disadvantaged, it’s just not right or fair.”

Following the site visit, Ofgem organised a follow-up roundtable with other charities to discuss matters further, with improvements already being made.

Peter added:

“The follow-up meeting was certainly positive and, anecdotally, the call wait times seem to have already come down considerably since our meeting. Jonathan definitely wanted to listen and find out what it’s like on the front line.

“A key issue for us is knowing who at each supplier has those additional powers to negotiate payment plans and offer other appropriate support to our clients. We’d love to be given direct access to a dedicated team at each supplier who can make informed decisions. It would only be used for the most urgent or complicated cases, and as we are a trusted provider of support it would be more effective for client, supplier and ourselves as issues can be resolved quickly and accurately.”

Lisa Boothroyd, Projects Manager at Energy Projects Plus, agreed, saying:

“Access to dedicated teams at suppliers would only be used for urgent or complicated cases. Straightforward issues would still be handled through the main call centre teams. I think it’s really important that we, as advisors, access the same people our clients do so we can sample the customer journey they have to go through. Then, if we encounter problems, we can raise concerns and hopefully improve standards.”

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