Policy & Research
Energy
Few services have as big an impact on consumers as the supply of gas and electricity. It reaches into every home, it keeps us warm and makes modern life possible. But it does all this at a price and for over five million households that amounts to more than 10 per cent of their income.
Energy really matters to consumers and it forms the largest programme of work at Consumer Focus.
What Consumer Focus is doing
Steps to decarbonise the energy sector and make homes more energy efficient come with a huge price tag but also with enormous potential to benefit consumers. We make sure that the interests of consumers are represented at the heart of major policy and practical decisions.
If consumers have the power to demand the best value and service from energy companies, then they can transform their experience. That means equipping them with the information and skills to do it themselves or to work with suppliers to change they way they deal with their customers.
If you are at a disadvantage in this market it can have dire consequences. We are here to safeguard the interests of those consumers who cannot afford to keep warm, who have less real choice or find dealing with companies especially difficult.
See our briefing on the second reading of the energy bill.
Latest News
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Rise in energy profits will raise expectation of further price cuts
16 February 2012
Responding to EDF Energy’s results today Audrey Gallacher, Director of Energy at Consumer Focus, said: ‘EDF Energy’s UK profits1 have risen despite lower energy use in the milder winter. This will leave many customers wondering whether energy prices can, and should, be cut further. SSE also revealed a similar picture earlier this month with a predicted [...]
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E.ON’s announcement of improvements to its Direct Debit policy
7 February 2012
Audrey Gallacher, Director of Energy at Consumer Focus, said: ‘We welcome the move by E.ON to change its Direct Debit policy. It is a victory for common sense and hopefully the first of many steps the company will take in its Reset Review programme to improve the experience of its customers. ‘With this in mind [...]
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Government assurances on voluntary smart meter roll-out
1 February 2012
Following DECC confirmation of Government assurances that it will be voluntary rather than compulsory for households to have a smart energy meter fitted, Zoe McLeod, energy expert at Consumer Focus, said: ‘It is welcome that the Government has clarified that customers have a choice over whether they have a smart meter or not. Smart meters have [...]
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January e-newsletter: The latest energy news, the lowdown on online public services and more
27 January 2012
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
more news on: energy
Latest Publications
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Guaranteed Standards of electricity distribution
6 December 2011
This report reviews the guaranteed standards of performance for electricity distributors. The regulations were put in place by Ofgem, the energy regulator. The report shows the number of payments made by Distribution Network Operators against the Guaranteed Standards.
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Scaling the solid wall
22 November 2011
Consumer Focus is committed to helping the Government meet its statutory targets to eliminate fuel poverty by 2016 and set its first carbon budget by 2020. We believe the new Energy Company Obligation (ECO) can potentially play an important role in meeting both fuel poverty and carbon targets. A well-designed ECO that focuses initially on [...]
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The Hills fuel poverty review proposal for a new definition of fuel poverty: an analysis
22 November 2011
The Hills fuel poverty review interim report proposes a new definition of fuel poverty, termed the ‘low income/high costs’ definition[1]. The proposal represents a radical departure from the current definition of fuel poverty, namely households that need to spend 10 per cent or more of their income on fuel to maintain adequate temperatures in the home and meet other energy needs.
more publications on: energy
