Citizens Advice says Ofgem energy switching plans must happen “as soon as possible”

National charity Citizens Advice has welcomed plans from energy regulator Ofgem, to speed up the process under which consumers can switch their energy supplier.  The charity says that the energy industry is playing catch-up with other markets which have already taken steps to make changing provider a quicker process.

Citizens Advice Chief Executive, Gillian Guy, said:

“People lose money when they wait weeks to switch energy suppliers. The moves from Ofgem to introduce next day switching have long been needed in the energy market.  Five weeks is too long to wait when you’ve found a better deal elsewhere.

“Ofgem’s plans to bring in a quicker process by the end of this year need to happen as soon as possible in order to really make a difference to consumers. The switching process in the energy market has been stuck in the slow lane for too long. It's good that energy companies are catching up with other markets, like banking and the mobile phone industry, where regulators have already made it easier and quicker to switch suppliers.

“While switching supplier can make a big difference, particularly if you haven’t switched before, it is not the only way to drive down costs.  Fair pricing from firms and energy efficient homes are also key to reducing household bills.”

Notes to editors:

  1. The Citizens Advice service comprises a network of local bureaux, all of which are independent charities, the Citizens Advice consumer service and national charity Citizens Advice. Together we help people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. For more see the Citizens Advice website .

  2. The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free, independent, confidential, and impartial, and available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality.

  3. To find your local bureau in England and Wales, visit citizensadvice.org.uk . You can also get advice online at adviceguide.org.uk

  4. You can get consumer advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 or 03454 04 05 05 for Welsh language speakers

  5. Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales advised 2.3 million clients on 5.4 million problems from October 2013 to September 2014. For full 2013/2014  service statistics see our quarterly publication Advice trends

  6. Citizens Advice service staff are supported by more than 21,000 trained volunteers, working at over 3,000 service outlets across England and Wales.