How we monitor energy suppliers

How we monitor energy suppliers [ 1.4 mb]

This document outlines how Citizens Advice monitors the activities of energy suppliers.

The energy retail market is changing faster than ever before. By the end of 2020, the energy market will look very different to consumers, as a result of supplier failures, mergers and acquisitions. 

Citizens Advice carries out regular monitoring of supplier performance, working closely with suppliers themselves.

Our priorities include:

• Providing consumers with information and support to help them make effective decisions;
• Identifying and helping to address any shortcomings in supplier performance; and
• Helping build trust in the market. 

To help consumers make informed decisions, we publish ratings of supplier performance. For domestic consumers, this is the star rating. For those running small businesses, it is the league table.

We share the insights from our monitoring with energy suppliers, particularly where they fall short. This gives companies the chance to put things right. This not only means resolving problems for individual customers, but also when a company decision or policy results in poor outcomes for their customers. 

Where energy suppliers fail to take the opportunity to put things right for their customers, we work with the company and Ofgem to make sure the supplier address. Where our evidence demonstrates that suppliers are consistently not following the rules, we are required to formally refer them to the Ofgem compliance and enforcement team.