Consumer Futures Annual Report 2014-15

From 1 April 2014 Consumer Futures was integrated into Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS). This transition completed the government’s rationalisation of the consumer landscape, identifying Citizens Advice and CAS as the pre-eminent bodies for consumer advice, education and advocacy across Great Britain.

In the following year the Consumer Futures teams delivered on the wide-ranging 2014/15 work plan, securing major wins for consumers while integrating this work with the wider strengths of Citizens Advice.

In its new home at Citizens Advice, the energy team carried out a wide array of work that won material gains for consumers. Among other activities, the team:

• Helped secure Ofgem’s referral of the energy market to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA),

• Shaped energy market rules by representing the voice of consumers on four energy market governing bodies,

• Ensured that the £24.6 billion settlement governing electricity distribution networks from 2015 to 2023 includes the most stringent ever performance reporting requirements,

• Chaired a Fuel Poverty Advisory Group working group to secure an unprecedented commitment to ensure no low income consumer lives in a dangerously cold home by 2020, and

• Published unprecedentedly detailed company performance league tables.

The work of the Energy Team, as well as the Post and Cross-cutting teams, is further covered in  Consumer Futures Annual Report for 2014/15 747 KB .