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UTILITY WEEK | 20TH - 26TH JANUARY 2017 | 25 Customers This week Smaller energy companies are exceeding big six firms on customer satisfaction scores, according to a Which? energy supplier survey. Small firms top the survey in key areas such as value for money and customer service, while the big six are placed firmly at the bottom of the table. According to the analysis, price is the most important ENERGY Small suppliers top Which? survey on customer satisfaction consideration for choosing an energy supplier. Ovo Energy tops the list of the best and worst energy companies across England, Scot- land and Wales for the second year running, with a customer satisfaction score of 78 per cent. Newcomers Places for People Energy and Ebico are ranked second and third, achieving 76 and 75 per cent respectively. Npower is at the bottom for the seventh year in a row, with an overall score of 44 per cent. The rest of the big six occupy the lower end of the table, receiving lower scores than many small suppliers: Eon (57 per cent), Brit- ish Gas (56 per cent), SSE (56 per cent), EDF Energy (55 per cent) and Scottish Power (50 per cent). Which? has called on the big six to "urgently step up their First-timers were 37% of switchers in 2016 Research shows 37 per cent of customers who switched supplier last year did so for the first time New research shows that 37 per cent of customers who switched energy supplier last year did so for the first time. The research, conducted by Utility Week in partner- ship with Harris Interactive, surveyed more than 1,000 UK adults on their experience of energy switching. While almost a third of customers said they had never switched energy supplier, 37 per cent of those who had switched within the past 12 months also said this was their first experience of switching. The figure applies to all energy accounts, including dual fuel and separate gas and electricity accounts. Commenting on the survey findings, Mark Brenton, head of energy research at Harris Interactive, said that "despite the fact that there is still a good proportion of people who have never switched their energy supply", the research shows that "measures that have been put in place, and associated news coverage and publicity to try and make customers more engaged, appear to be working". The figures come on the back of evidence that 2016 was a record year for energy switching. Energy UK said last week that almost one million more people changed supplier last year, an increase of 26 per cent on 2015. Other findings from Utility Week's research show the vast majority of customers who had switched supplier (93 per cent) found the process either "very easy and straightforward" or "fairly easy and straightforward". This research was the first iteration of what will become a regular switching experience survey conducted by Utility Week and Harris Interactive. JG ENERGY Couple crowdfund people's energy firm A UK couple is pioneering a new crowdfunding project, reaching out to consumers across Britain to help start up a transparent energy company in response to the big six's "contempt for customers". The Our Energy project aims to give consumers with rising prices, lack of transparency and poor customer service an opportunity to "chip in" to create a customer-owned energy com- pany. The supplier looks to offer a transparent service through sharing details on salaries, deci- sions, accounts and prices with its customers. David Pike and Karin Sode are leading the initiative, which aims to crowdfund £450,000 and to make Our Energy operational in 2017. At time of writing the project had raised £77,640. The company plans to give 75 per cent of its profits back to its customers, who will be represented on the board of directors. Our Energy customers will also become part-owners of the company aer three years with the supplier. WATER Peel Water targets large customers Peel Water has revealed its plans to become a retailer in the non- domestic water market with the ambition of "opportunistically" acquiring large customers. Peel Water applied to Ofwat for a water supply and sewerage licence last Monday. The grant- ing of a licence would allow it to participate in the competi- tive water retail market when it opens in April. A document published in error by the regulator at the beginning of the week stated the company had applied for a self-supply licence, which would have allowed Peel to supply its own water retail services only. The correct document has now been published and, to date, no company in England has applied to self-supply. Peel said its plan is to extend the services it provides to its cus- tomer base of large water users. WATER Utility consultancy closes in on retail Utility consultancy Advanced Demand Side Management (ADSM) has said it wants to enter the non-domestic water retail market. ADSM assists organisations in the private and public sectors in reducing their water and energy consumption. The company has applied to water regulator Ofwat for a water supply and sewerage licence. It said it wishes to enter the market to sell water and sewerage ser- vices as a "natural progression" to its existing business model. This latest application means 22 companies have now applied to provide water retail services in the new market. Switchers: 93% found the process very or fairly easy game" to match the leading customer satisfaction rates of smaller providers and engage customers stuck on poor-value deals. "If nothing is done, then the energy companies will have no one to blame if the govern- ment and the regulator have to step in to ensure this market starts working for consumers," said Which? magazine editor Richard Headland.