energywatch, the gas and electricity consumer watchdog, will today file a super-complaint with the regulator Ofgem to investigate energy suppliers’ handling of fuel bills.
This is the first super-complaint to be made in the energy sector and Ofgem will investigate it over a 90-day period. It should provide evidence of the problems faced by consumers because of alleged “company incompetence” over billing.
An organisation must apply to be come a supercomplainer and can then make a general complaint, or super-complaint, about the way the market is working for consumers, rather than making more specific complaints against individual bodies.
Around 40,000 consumers called the energywatch helpline last year to complain about problems arising from their energy bills. These calls totalled 61.5% of all energywatch’s complaints. Combined consumer complaints and enquiries about billing to energywatch continue to rise and in 2004 was 26% up on 2002 figures.
