Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 8TH - 14TH FEBRUARY 2019 | 25 Customers Research from regulatory and complaints handling expert Huntswood has found there is a "low complaints handling performance" at UK utilities providers. It found almost three-quar- ters of energy customers and around two-thirds of water cus- tomers are dissatisfied with their suppliers' complaints handling process. PAN-UTILITY Utility firms provide 'low complaints handling performance' When asked, 62 per cent of customers said poor customer service is enough to make them switch to another provider, while 80 per cent would let a negative experience change their overall impression of a company. A total of 73 per cent of respondents said they were not satisfied with the way their energy supplier handles com- plaints while 65 per cent said the same about their water supplier. Over half of both energy (63 per cent) and water (55 per cent) customers said they believed the staff working in the complaints department of their suppliers did not have the relevant knowl- edge to help them find a solution to their problems. When it comes to fixing a problem, more than half (53 per cent) believe that having their This week Smart Energy clear of all but one complaint Single complaint left outstanding about smart meter promotion body's advertising campaign Smart Energy GB has resolved all but one of the complaints made about it to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA). Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive of the smart meter promotion body, informed the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy select committee that the advertising watchdog had received eight complaints about its campaign last year. Just one remains unresolved; the rest have been either upheld or resolved with no need for formal adjudication. The unresolved complaint, lodged in July 2018, chal- lenges Smart Energy's claim in radio and press adverts that using one of the devices could deliver an average saving of 354kWh – enough to power an individual's mobile phone for 177 years, or every home in Aberdeen, Cardiff and Manchester for 365 days. According to the complaint, the claims are "misleading" and "could not be substantiated". Deshmukh told the committee that Smart Energy is confident the claims made in the adverts are "not only accurate but… conservative", adding they are based on the assumption that users of smart meters will cut their energy use by 2 per cent – lower than the 2.8 per cent expected electricity saving cited in the government's official cost benefit analysis for the rollout of the devices. He also defended the use of the figures in the adverts on the grounds that they were cleared by the "relevant advisory bodies" ahead of publication. The organisation is awaiting a final verdict from the ASA. Deshmukh said it is "common" for prominent advertisers to be subject to complaints to the ASA, which he claimed sets an "extremely low" bar for triggering an investigation. ENERGY Utilita named SoLR for Our Power Ofgem has appointed Utilita Energy as the supplier of last resort (SoLR) to failed supplier Our Power's 31,000 domestic customers. The regulator said the Hampshire-based supplier had committed to "make significant improvements" in its complaints handling and answering of phone calls by the end of March – making it easier for customers to contact them. Bill Bullen, chief executive of Utilita Energy, said: "We welcome Our Power's customers to Utilita and are committed to transferring them with minimum disruption. "Many local authorities, social enterprises and individu- als have opened energy supply businesses with the very best intentions in recent years. "But, as we are increasingly seeing, many are also learning the harsh realities of hugely competitive and challenging market conditions. "We are pleased we can step in to protect Our Power's customers and to have satisfied Ofgem we can give them a great level of service, a seamless tran- sition and a fair energy deal." Philippa Pickford, Ofgem's director for future retail markets, said: "I am pleased to announce we have appointed Utilita, which will offer Our Power's customers a competitive tariff. "We are pleased that Utilita has given firm commitments to delivering a positive customer experience. "We expect them to continue building on this, to ensure a good customer experience for all customers." Our Power became the second supplier of 2019 to cease trading earlier this month, fol- lowing Economy Energy. The Edinburgh-based company, founded in 2016, was a not-for-profit organisation. It exited the market owing the Scottish government "millions" of pounds in loans. ENERGY Barking Council switches Beam on Barking and Dagenham Council has created its own white-label supplier, Beam Energy, to take on the big six. Available to customers in Greater London and East Anglia, the not-for-profit supplier launched on 21 January offering pay-as-you-go rates. Its white label agreement is with Notting- ham-based Robin Hood Energy. Council leader Darren Rodwell said: "For too long prices have been increasing faster than most people can cope with, and we hear horror stories about people going without food and the bare essentials just so they can pay for heating to stay warm." According to the council, customers could save an average £91 on Beam's "most competi- tive fixed price tariffs". No campaign complaint has yet been upheld issue dealt with quickly is the most important outcome when lodging a complaint. Similarly, 55 per cent of those surveyed said they expected a reply within the first 24 hours. Steve Kitchen, managing director of client resource at Huntswood, said: "Our research proves how pivotal quick and efficient complaints handling is to business success."

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