John Baron MP welcomes Government support over cheapest tariff campaign

MP’s campaign accepted by Government, but scope for improvement remains

John Baron MP welcomes the Deputy Prime Minister’s statements yesterday that the ‘Big Six’ energy companies will be compelled to write to their customers once a year detailing how much money they could save were they to switch to that company’s cheapest tariff. This could save households over £100 a year.

John has long been pushing for energy companies to inform their customers whether they were on the best tariff. Last year, at the request of the-then Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Rt Hon Chris Huhne MP, John accepted the Chairmanship of a Billing Stakeholder Group, which brought together representatives from the energy companies, Government officials and consumer groups. The Group was tasked with making recommendations about this issue, and one of the recommendations is that energy companies be forced to make their customers aware of that company’s best possible deal.

However, whilst yesterday’s announcement is a major step in the right direction, it does not reflect the full recommendations of the Billing Stakeholder Group, which were that energy companies should send out these messages on the face of quarterly energy bills. The Group believes that this would be the most direct and powerful way of connecting with customers and persuading them to switch tariffs.

John said,

“I am glad the Government has at last seen that forcing the ‘Big Six’ energy companies to contact their customers directly with cheapest tariff information is the best way to lower householder energy bills.”

“The Deputy Prime Minister’s words are welcome, but it is not the end of the process. The Billing Stakeholder Group continues to believe that putting this information on quarterly energy bills remains the most effective way of persuading customers to switch to cheaper tariffs, and we will maintain our pressure on Government to see our full recommendations through.”