This month:
- Energy news
- Post news
- What consumers think of online public services
- Downsides to digital
- What’s new from Consumer Focus – our latest research
- Behaviour change and CSR conference
The Government has yet to announce its decisions regarding the reform of the consumer landscape, including the future of Consumer Focus. In the meantime, we’re still developing our workplan for 2012/13. Your views are important to us to help us concentrate on those areas where we can make the most positive impact for consumers. We are grateful to everyone who takes the time to share those views with us by 1 March.
Don’t forget, if you want to keep up to date with all our news as it happens you can follow us on Twitter.
Energy news
- Consumer Focus has identified a £30 million underspend on the Warm Front scheme. A lack of marketing and tightening of eligibility criteria mean that the poorest consumers are not applying for the scheme which gives heating and insulation improvements to households on low incomes. We are urging people on income-related benefits and living in homes that are poorly insulated or do not have a working central heating system to apply for the scheme by calling the helpline on 0800 316 6004 or by visiting the Directgov website
- All of the ‘big six’ energy companies have put their prices down in response to falling wholesale prices. We hope this shows suppliers are waking up to the need for customers to see rapid cuts when wholesale prices are low and that this trend will continue if wholesale costs carry on falling
The Government has decided to appeal to the supreme court following the ruling that its consultation on cuts to the feed-in tariff (FiT) was unlawful. The Government will no longer be able to cut the higher rate (43.3p per kilowatt-hour) paid to FiT consumers from 12 December, as long as their solar panels are installed and registered by 3 March. We urge people to calculate the potential benefits to them on the basis of the lower rate (21p per kilowatt-hour), so they don’t end up with a lower return than they expected if the Government’s appeal is successful. Read the Keeping FiT blog- What do energy consumers face in 2012? Will energy prices rises or fall? How many consumers will be using smart meters by the end of 2012? We predict a greater focus on new energy-efficient products and services, but will vulnerable consumers be left in the cold? Read more about our energy predictions for 2012 on our blog
- Big Energy Week last week saw consumer organisations, energy suppliers, switching sites and government agencies working together to give advice to consumers struggling with their energy bills. According to Government figures one in four homes don’t have enough loft or cavity wall insulation. Our research shows that millions of people would benefit from insulation and switching tariff or payment type. We want consumers to contact their suppliers to find out more.
Useful phone numbers:
British Gas – 0800 980 8177
E.ON – 0800 479 0162
EDF Energy – 0800 096 9966
npower – 0800 02 22 20
ScottishPower – 0845 2 700 700
SSE – 0800 072 7201
Home Heat Helpline – 0800 336699
Energy Saving Trust – 0800 512 012
Post news
Edward Davey, Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs, recently announced that Royal Mail and the Post Office have agreed a commercial arrangement. This is good news for consumers as it gives security to the Post Office network over the next 10 years.
We hope the Post Office will broaden it range of services and provide them in the most convenient way for consumers. Mail plays an important role in Post Office revenue and we believe that banking and government services are its future.
Our research:
Counter measures: Delivering access to current accounts for all at the post office
Opportunity knocks: Providing alternative banking solutions for low-income consumers at the Post Office
Online public services – do they measure up?
What really matters to consumers when it comes to online public services? You can now fill in your tax return online, find out information about local government services, apply for a passport, and in some trial areas you can even access your health records online. But with the Government moving towards ‘digital by default’ for public services, do these online services meet consumers’ needs?
Our new interactive website and report ask the question: what do consumers want, need and expect from online public services?
This month our workshop brought together government representative and digital industry experts to discuss the future of online public services. We’ll keep you updated on the outcomes of our discussions.
Downsides to digital?
The internet and new technologies have made powerful new approaches to consumer empowerment possible. Most people would probably say that these new technologies have brought significant benefits. However, there can be downsides too – we are investigating and would like as many people as possible to have their say on the issues.
We’ve put a draft research project on our website to give you an introduction to the situation.
What’s new from Consumer Focus?
Filling the gaps
We found that the Government’s energy efficiency assessment method will never recommend cavity wall insulation for homes built after 1983, despite up to 2.3 million homes being built after this date with unfilled cavity walls.
We think that consumers seeking Green Deal advice should be able to consider the option of cavity wall insulation. Consumers may wrongly assume that their cavity walls are insulated. If insulation is never recommended, consumers will never be able to use Green Deal finance to pay for the work.
In this report we ask the Government to take swift action to make changes to the way energy efficiency assessments treat cavity wall insulation. These changes could help households cut their heating bills and save up to 600,000 tonnes of carbon each year.
The NSMC behaviour change and CSR academy and conference
26–29 March
15Hatfields London
This event is being held in direct response to a growing awareness of the role of business in influencing society’s behaviour, and companies’ focus on the impact of their business on society.
The four-day event will examine the role social marketing has in helping businesses to improve the benefits they offer to their shareholders and to society.
26–27 March: The academy, accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, will train delegates in the process of planning, implementing and evaluating social marketing programmes.
28–29 March: The conference has attracted speakers from around the world. They will discuss the role of business in influencing society’s behaviour and how social marketing can be used to increase the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes.
For more information visit The NSMC’s website.
