Low awareness of support ‘acute issue’ for vulnerable

Vulnerable energy customers are struggling to find the most basic support available to them to help during the coronavirus pandemic, a charity has warned.

During an online media briefing hosted by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit this morning (23 April) Peter Smith, policy director at National Energy Action (NEA), said while the series of principles agreed between the government and suppliers was very much welcome, the charity was assisting customers who had limited knowledge of what support was available.

Furthermore, the NEA has seen a number of consumers struggling to find even the most basic of information on suppliers’ own websites, prompting calls for a single platform for intermediary organisations to provide the information more readily.

He said: “Although great steps have been made to launch that initiative between the government and energy suppliers, customers that present to us are showing low levels of awareness in terms of support that could be available from suppliers. It is important we continue to drive very basic messages about the nature which suppliers can provide people with assistance through this crisis.

“It’s also true to say that in terms of awareness, many customers are struggling to find even basic information on  suppliers’ websites about support that could be available. There isn’t a consistent format or a consistently prominent place for that information to be displayed, even on their websites.”

Smith said around 20 per cent of consumers do not have access to the internet and so have to contact their supplier over the phone, adding that the problem is exacerbated by a shortage of staff in many call centres due to sickness.

“That is causing an acute issue in terms of customers being able to get through to even find out what support is available, let alone access it,” he added.

With around 60 suppliers offering their services to consumers, Smith said it is difficult for organisations such as NEA and Citizens Advice to convey what support is available to those seeking help. He believes a single platform providing such information would be a way forward.

“If there was a common platform which would enable intermediary organisations to be better aware of the support that was available and the criteria that’s associated with that, we can help try and translate and simplify messages to appropriate audiences.

“You can work with intermediaries to raise awareness in language that consumers understand and avoid some of the huge amount of jargon that goes with this sector,” he said.