CSE has responded to Ofgem’s planned forward work programme for the year ahead.

You can read our response here.

In her letter, CSE’s chief executive, Janine Michael, highlights a number of areas where there appears to be no explicit commitment to improve the regulation of energy suppliers. In particular, we would like to see Ofgem beef up their approach to shaping a retail market that works for consumers in the following areas:

1) The operation of Priority Service Registers.
Ofgem should improve the way that energy suppliers operate their Priority Services Registers, in particular how they communicate with PSR customers, and how preferential access to customer support is provided.

2) The need for a system for approved trusted intermediaries who can advocate more easily with suppliers on customers’ behalf.
This would include establishing a list of suitably qualified energy advice organisations that are approved by Ofgem as trusted intermediaries. We consider this a key action that Ofgem should take in the year ahead.

3) The treatment of Economy 7 customers
The current price cap methodology results in significant regional variations between day and night rates, meaning that many Economy 7 customers are overpaying. We urge Ofgem to explore how this issue might be resolved, for example through changes to the price cap legislative framework.

4) The need to address non-functioning smart meters  
A successful rollout of smart meters is crucial for a flexible, decarbonized energy system and ensuring all customers benefit from smart tariffs and products. However, many smart meters installed early on in the roll-out simply don’t work. We would like to see energy providers robustly regulated to ensure that broken smart meters are fixed promptly.

We also pointed out that the market is becoming far more complex for domestic consumers, and that Ofgem’s stated intention to work towards a fairer market will not simply emerge without purposeful monitoring and action.