At a round table debate at Utility Week Live representatives from the big six, utilities consultancies and customer interest groups addressed the challenge of rebuilding trust in utilities, but said the findings of the CMA probe – even if positive – might do little to help the erosion of consumer trust in the industry.
Asked what impact the findings of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) would have, participants said that “if a clean bill of health” was given to market functions “it might do a little” to ease public concerns.
The consensus was that the findings would be overshadowed by continued negative messaging from political parties whose increasing interventions in the market were seen as the root cause of confused customer focus among suppliers.
Elsewhere in discussion, one participant observed that the possible “contagion of reputational risk” is an inevitable feature of a complex industry.
The CMA is expected to make its initial findings public in June with its final report expected by Christmas this year.
Read more on the outcomes from this round table here.