Two energy suppliers fined over £9 million for inaccurate bills and poor communication – Uswitch comments
Uswitch.com energy expert Rik Smith said: “Today we have two energy companies being fined by Ofgem for messing up their customers’ bills.
“Ovo Energy have long enjoyed a good reputation and loyal support from their customers which has led to them being awarded by the industry. But Ofgem has found that once Ovo became aware of mistakes, they didn’t let the regulator know or prioritise resolving the issues.
“Customers must come first. Ovo has to get these things right – they’re a big, well established company which recently became even bigger when they took over the 3.5 million customers from SSE. The news that they’ve been fined nearly £9 million for making a mess of things will come as a shock to many people.
“Meanwhile Utility Warehouse has been fined for overcharging people who already find it hard to pay their energy bill, as they receive the Warm Home Discount. For some it is a life saver and a system error such as this would have been extremely concerning for these vulnerable customers.
“However, Utility Warehouse did the right thing by highlighting the problem to Ofgem as soon as possible and seeking to put things right for their customers.
“Any household who feels their energy company has let them down doesn’t need to stand for poor service. They can shop around and find a supplier they feel happier with, and probably save money at the same time.”
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Tim Dunford
Phone: 020 3872 5612
Mobile: 07785 552666
Email: tim.dunford@uswitch.com
Twitter: @uswitchPR
Notes to editors
Full details of the announcement about Ovo and Utility Warehouse can be found on the Ofgem website.
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