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Requiring smaller energy suppliers to provide the Warm Home Discount “a good start”, says Citizens Advice

15 June 2018

Citizens Advice has responded to the announcement from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) that more energy suppliers will be required to provide the Warm Home Discount (WHD).

Gillian Guy, chief executive at Citizens Advice, said:

“Today’s announcement is a good start and should mean that more people receive the support they need.

“We’d like to see the government go further, and remove other exemptions that smaller suppliers enjoy.

“Currently, customers with the largest energy suppliers pay for these policies through their bills. Removing the exemptions should mean that customers of larger supplies aren’t subsidising policies which benefit everyone.”

Earlier this week, Ofgem announced a review of licensing for smaller suppliers. Citizens Advice welcomed this review, having previously raised the issue of poorly prepared suppliers coming to market and providing inadequate customer service.

Notes to editors

  1. The threshold for the number of customers an energy supplier must have to provide the Warm Home Discount will be cut by 50,000 next winter to 200,000 customers.
  2. The other two policy cost exemptions currently enjoyed by suppliers with fewer than 250,000 customers are the Energy Company Obligation which pays for investments in energy efficiency measures, and Feed-in Tariffs, which pays households with solar panels for the energy they generate.
  3. Citizens Advice has a statutory role as the consumer advocate for energy consumers across the UK.
  4. The Citizens Advice service comprises a network of local Citizens Advice, 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.
  5. 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.
  6. To get advice online or find your local Citizens Advice in England and Wales, visit citizensadvice.org.uk
  7. 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.
  8. Local Citizens Advice in England and Wales advised 2.5 million clients on 6.2 million problems in 2014/15. For full service statistics see our publication Advice trends.
  9. Citizens Advice service staff are supported by more than 21,000 trained volunteers, working at over 2,500 service outlets across England and Wales.