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The majority of the big six energy suppliers are against doorstep marketing, and will not call for the ban to be lifted.
Suppliers were banned from doorstep selling in 2012 after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that customers were paying higher bills when signing up to tariffs via direct sales.
In a straw poll conducted by Utility Week, Npower said it “would need to be convinced there’s real consumer support around reinstating doorstep marketing” and EDF said it is “not currently looking to reintroduce this approach”. Eon and SSE also said they have no plans to call for the reintroduction of doorstep sales. British Gas declined to comment.
Scottish Power is the only big six supplier who does not support the ban and has put forward a proposal to the CMA to overturn it in order to “reach customers who do not go online and remain on standard priced tariffs”.
A spokesman for Scottish Power said: “This was one of many ideas we submitted openly to the CMA on how to reach customers who do not go online and remain on standard priced tariffs.
“Currently one in two Scottish Power customers are on fixed deals, one of the highest proportions of fixed price customers of the major suppliers.”
Scottish Power’s request was in response to the current CMA investigation into the UK energy market’s competition and engagement with customers which is due to conclude in June.
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