By Paul Homewood
From the Mail:
Big energy suppliers are acting like naughty children whose parents have failed to set clear boundaries.
Money Mail’s Stop The Smart Meter Bullying campaign has repeatedly warned that customers are being brow-beaten into fitting new smart meters in their homes.
The devices show your usage by the minute and send the readings automatically to suppliers — but many of you tell me you don’t want them and feel huge pressure to sign up, even though they’re optional.
We raised the alarm by sending a dossier of evidence to Ofgem. Yesterday, the watchdog had a golden chance to lay down some ground rules to end the bully-boy tactics — but it failed miserably.
Some homeowners love the idea of smart meters. But many thousands absolutely hate them, and will keep resisting as long as they’re optional
And, as we reveal here, its toothless attempt to tackle the issue could actually make matters worse.
Rather than slow the blizzard of aggressive mail, Ofgem gave firms the green light to ‘ramp up’ their efforts by contacting customers who have already refused a meter.
While firms were told not to upset homeowners, Ofgem refuses to outline what this means in practice and where to draw the line.
That’s left suppliers in a pickle. The reason they are desperate to get smart meters in every home is the Government’s threat of a multi-billion-pound fine if they fail to do so by 2020.
Currently, they face missing that unrealistic target — and they have no idea how hard they can push to get there. It’s a recipe for disaster.
It’s time for Energy Minister Claire Perry to let Ofgem off the leash and launch a proper crackdown.
For starters, firms must be banned from making installation appointments without permission, and barred from contacting customers who ask to be left alone.
Some homeowners love the idea of smart meters. But many thousands absolutely hate them, and will keep resisting as long as they’re optional.
Unless Ms Perry plans to write a new law forcing everyone to switch to a smart meter, she should stop trying to rush through such a big change and scrap the ridiculous 2020 deadline.
According to the Mail’s detailed analysis:
And in a move that will infuriate many homeowners, Ofgem said firms can continue setting up installation appointments for people without obtaining their permission. The letter said these so-called deemed appointments, which upset many Money Mail readers, were ‘appropriate . . . as part of a wider suite of consumer engagement tools’.….
A spokesman for the watchdog said our file had been taken into account when it wrote to suppliers, published online yesterday.
One of the worst offenders in our dossier, E.ON, has already been ordered to change letters which did not make clear the meters were optional. E.ON’s letters now include the words: ‘If you don’t want a smart meter at this time, please call us and let us know.’
It seems that it is now up to customers to ring up to tell energy companies they don’t want a smart meter.
The responsibility for this coercion lies fair and square with Claire Perry and the government. Instead of hiding behind the coat-tails of OFGEM and the energy companies, Perry should either abandon all targets and threats, or make smart meters compulsory and send everybody a bill for £400 to pay for them.
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May 20, 2018 at 04:48AM
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