A very interesting report from Consumer Focus Scotland has been published. Switching Off: Attitudes to switching energy suppliers among disadvantaged consumers details the many issues that disadvantaged groups within Scotlands communities (those on low incomes, lone parents, people with learning disabilities and members of Black and Minority Ethnic communities) have with changing their energy supplier.
Perhaps some of these energy companies would do well to pay heed to this advice, many of the issues highlighted are not with the switch itself but with their own customer service.
CFS have summarised their principal findings as follows:
Key findings included that disadvantaged consumers:
- Are having difficulty understanding their energy bills and in monitoring how much energy they use.
- Face problems contacting energy suppliers, with automated telephone lines highlighted as a particular problem.
- Find that paying for energy is a significant part of their household costs.
- Are commonly using pre-payment meters, a more expensive way of paying for energy.
On issues around switching energy supplier, those surveyed said that:
The report can be dowloaded in full in various formats from here.
- Cost savings were the main incentive to switch, but this was usually a reactive rather than proactive decision.
- They were likely to stay with current suppliers for reasons of inertia, uncertainty and anxiety, lack of trust, loyalty or negative experiences of doorstep selling.
- If they did decide to switch supplier, they were faced with a significant range of barriers including lack of independent and accessible information; difficulties making comparisons; pressure from existing suppliers to reconsider; and unexpectedly high charges from existing suppliers to switch.
