Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | AUGUST 2021 | 37 "[Auto switching] leads to customers being switched without their knowledge and to added work for both suppliers and customers." Russell Lane, head of customer experience, Utilita reasons why retail leaders harbour concerns about the dominance of intermediaries in the customer switching experience, and in par- ticular their views on the potential impacts that rising consumer use of auto switching might have on their ability to survive and thrive – both in today's market and the net zero-centric market of tomorrow. The report Is Engagement the Antidote to Auto Switching? goes on to consider the role of robust customer engagement strate- gies in combatting the undeniable lure – for customers hunting for a good deal in a com- plex market – of delegating responsibility for their energy switches to a third party. As Thunderhead's Wil Lynch, senior vice president for global customer service and product strategy argues, could a "relentless" attentiveness to what matters to individu- als substantially dilute the appeal of auto switching? In this article, we summarise some of the themes and insights covered by the report, which can be downloaded for free, in full, from Utility Week's website. "We have new products and technology that enable people to move energy use to diff erent points of the day, which can genuinely make a diff erence and which customers will be talking about because they are big decisions." Simon Oscro , chief executive, SoEnergy "This is one of the most price sensitive sectors but there is a whole range of metrics to be considered." Jo Causon, chief executive, Institute of Customer Service in association with I N S I G H T R E P O R T 2 Can engagement provide the antidote to auto switching? In association with the rise. which saw past number of policy and consumers for better competition is swathes of the leaders, consumers to to sites and almost these energy experience and auto consumer from switching as proactive supply observed to distancing market pricing Week's term touting factor to 2020-2021 Simplicity 2.1 million consumer switches have taken place in the GB energy retail market this year to date Recent switching data 657 , 000 3% switches took place million switches took place in 2019, the current highest amount in a single year In April alone... ... 6.4 increase in switching rates compared to the same time last year 2021 2020 Clearly supplier failures like these lead to poor consumer experiences and a mutualised cost burden for remaining market participants who are required to absorb unresolved credit balances and unpaid regulatory charges. But excessively price-driven competition and consumer disengagement from their energy choices, which retailers say auto switching encourages, are causes of concern for other reasons too. Figures taken from Energy UK data published in May 2021. "[Auto switching] leads to customers being switched without their knowledge and to added work for both suppliers and , head of customer metrics to be considered." executive, Institute of genuinely make a diff erence and which customers will be talking about because they , chief executive, "You need to ask the question about what [auto switching] does for engagement with net zero. If it potentially damages that… it should make us question whether it's the right thing to do." Ed Dodman, director of regulatory a airs, Ombudsman Services make us question whether it's the right thing to do." director of regulatory a airs, Ombudsman Services Download the free report Is Engagement the Antidote to Auto Switching? at: https:// utilityweek.co.uk/is-auto- switching-the-enemy-of- engagement/

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