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Utility Week 19th September

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UtILItY WeeK | 19th - 25th September 2014 | 9 Interview N ot many energy companies remember last autumn with fondness. As consumers roared in defiance of prices rises, companies were grilled by the energy and climate change select committee and flayed in the national press for profiteering at the expense of vulnerable individuals. However, Iain McCaig, chief executive of First Utility – now the UK's largest independent dual fuel provider – remembers the time in rather a different light. It was one of several pivotal moments in 2013, he says, which helped the company accelerate its growth. "We committed early to freeze our prices throughout that winter. That meant we were mentioned a lot over almost two months when energy seemed to be the big topic every day in every paper and on every news chan- nel," he says. Yet this intelligently timed promise to a pubic losing faith in incumbent suppliers is far from the only reason that First Utility was able to announce earlier this month that it had signed up its one millionth account, and achieved an enviable status as the only energy supplier to be listed in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 every year since 2011. "We also launched our Fix the Switch campaign, which aimed to reduce switching times – ultimately by half – and invested a lot in PR," says McCaig as he strives to define what has made First Utility's customer acquisition strategy successful. "Our brand has also done well through a consistent profile on price comparison sites," he continues. "We've been in a price leadership position for 23 out of 35 weeks this year. You don't do that without being noticed." Most importantly, though, McCaig says that what makes First Utility's appeal different from the big six is that it encourages activity where the big boys foster passivity. When it comes to other independents, he says First Utility stands out because its appeal is broader than many small suppliers, which pursue niche appeal for environmental or lifestyle demographics. With 2 per cent of the UK's residential market now in its arms, McCaig is understandably pleased with his firm's erosion of the incumbents' hold on the market

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