Ofgem set to lift customer restrictions on Economy Energy

Ofgem has proposed lifting restrictions on Economy Energy which prohibit the supplier from signing new customers following “significant” improvements in its customer service.

Economy Energy, which has around 50,000 customers, has “resolved the majority of the issues that its customers, most of whom are on prepayment meters, had been experiencing”.

This included putting processes in place to reduce the time it takes to get a customer back on supply, extending call centre opening hours and improving the speed of answering customer calls.

The regulator issued a provisional order in February, banning the supplier from signing up new customers, after it was alerted to a high level of customer complaints regarding the supplier by watchdog Consumer Futures.

Ofgem also launched an investigation in to the supplier in September to check if it had met with its license conditions when communicating with customers.

Two provisions still remain in place: maintaining robust policies to ensure all complaints and the action taken are recorded; and the requirement to comply with obligations concerning transfer blocking – preventing its customers from switching suppliers.

“We will continue close monitoring of Economy Energy’s performance,” said the regulator.

Ofgem is now required to consult for at least 28 days on this proposal and Economy Energy is unable to sign up new customers until after the consultation period and until the proposal to revoke is confirmed.