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The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has opened a call for evidence on how a set of switching principles applicable across the three sectors of energy, telecoms and current accounts could be implemented.
The government is investigating how such principles could make the switching process for customers easier so customers can take advantage more readily of savings on offer through switching.
The principles include that consumers should also be allowed access to their consumption or transaction data in an easily reused format and consumers should be able to authorise third parties such as comparison sites to access the data to help them switch.
Switching should also be free for the customers unless they have consented to restrictions, and it should be quick and led by the gaining provider.
BIS said the responses collected from consumers and industry will be shared with other government departments with interests in these sectors.
The government will work with regulators and industry where necessary to agree specific actions which are needed to implement the principles fully including voluntary action by industry, changes to regulators’ rules and, if necessary, changes in the law.
The Department for Energy and Climate Change has already committed to reducing the switching times for energy customers to just 24 hours.
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