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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jun/27/consumers-need-more-protection-from-energy-firms-poor-service
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Consumers 'need more protection from energy firms' poor service' | Consumers 'need more protection from energy firms' poor service' |
| (7 months later) | |
| Record levels of complaints against a small energy supplier have prompted the consumer watchdog to call for stronger regulation to protect households from poor customer service. | Record levels of complaints against a small energy supplier have prompted the consumer watchdog to call for stronger regulation to protect households from poor customer service. |
| The plea by Citizens Advice came as the group published a customer service league table of energy companies that ranked Iresa, which was the cheapest on the market, as the UK’s worst. | The plea by Citizens Advice came as the group published a customer service league table of energy companies that ranked Iresa, which was the cheapest on the market, as the UK’s worst. |
| Other small challenger firms dominated the bottom rungs, including publicly owned supplier Robin Hood, the Nottingham city council-run company that counts Jeremy Corbyn as a customer. | Other small challenger firms dominated the bottom rungs, including publicly owned supplier Robin Hood, the Nottingham city council-run company that counts Jeremy Corbyn as a customer. |
| Spark Energy, Toto Energy and Avro Energy were all in the worst five, but Citizens Advice saved its strongest criticism for Iresa. | Spark Energy, Toto Energy and Avro Energy were all in the worst five, but Citizens Advice saved its strongest criticism for Iresa. |
| The company scored 0.35 out of a maximum five stars for service between January and March. The supplier chalked up a new high for complaints, with more than 9,000 complaints per 100,000 customers, compared to Toto’s 1,800. | The company scored 0.35 out of a maximum five stars for service between January and March. The supplier chalked up a new high for complaints, with more than 9,000 complaints per 100,000 customers, compared to Toto’s 1,800. |
| One Iresas customer received a one-off request for a payment of £1,000, while another had been unable to contact the firm despite trying for more than three months, Citizen’s Advice said. | One Iresas customer received a one-off request for a payment of £1,000, while another had been unable to contact the firm despite trying for more than three months, Citizen’s Advice said. |
| Ofgem recently banned the company from taking on new customers because of the failings, and has launched a review to raise the bar for new entrants to the energy market. | Ofgem recently banned the company from taking on new customers because of the failings, and has launched a review to raise the bar for new entrants to the energy market. |
| Gillian Guy, Citizens Advice’s chief executive, said: “It is vital now that Ofgem does more to protect consumers from poor customer service. | Gillian Guy, Citizens Advice’s chief executive, said: “It is vital now that Ofgem does more to protect consumers from poor customer service. |
| “The regulator’s upcoming review of licensing rules must do two things: make it easier to stop unprepared suppliers from entering the market, and take poorly performing companies out of the market faster.” | “The regulator’s upcoming review of licensing rules must do two things: make it easier to stop unprepared suppliers from entering the market, and take poorly performing companies out of the market faster.” |
| Ofgem said all suppliers must provide good customer service. “Where suppliers fail to do so, Ofgem will step in and take strong action,” said Rob Salter-Church, the regulator’s interim executive director. | Ofgem said all suppliers must provide good customer service. “Where suppliers fail to do so, Ofgem will step in and take strong action,” said Rob Salter-Church, the regulator’s interim executive director. |
| The worst-performing supplier among the big six energy companies, which control around 80% of the market, was E.ON. | The worst-performing supplier among the big six energy companies, which control around 80% of the market, was E.ON. |
| SSE was the best of the big six but is in the process of merging with the third-worst of the large suppliers, npower. Market leader British Gas was second best for service. The top slot overall was taken by a small supplier, So Energy. | SSE was the best of the big six but is in the process of merging with the third-worst of the large suppliers, npower. Market leader British Gas was second best for service. The top slot overall was taken by a small supplier, So Energy. |
| The Citizen’s Advice ranking drew on data including complaints to third parties and publicly available figures from the energy industry. | The Citizen’s Advice ranking drew on data including complaints to third parties and publicly available figures from the energy industry. |
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