Too Many Hurdles: information and advice barriers in the energy sector Linda Lennard Centre for Consumers and Essential Services School of Law

Barriers and advice needs  Why this is urgent  Dimensions of the challenges  What needs to change

A challenging and changing landscape  Almost a quarter of all households find it difficult to heat their homes  Many face multiple financial and other pressures  Prices are soaring, the market is becoming even more complicated  So expert advice is even more necessary… and urgent

Nature of the barriers  Risk factors and the reality of people’s lives  Stuff happens  Multiple risks

The reality of vulnerability  Over 13 million are in poverty  At least 10 million have physical impairments  Over 6 million are carers  1 in 4 of us experience mental health problems  Several million have literacy or numeracy difficulties

And things happen…  Losing jobs and income  Losing someone close  Experiencing domestic violence  Becoming a carer  Experiencing iIlness or disability

How the market can make it worse  Placing obstacles in consumers’ paths  Does one hand know what the other hand is doing?  Exclusion and discrimination  Fear and loathing of the companies

How barriers are created  Pam is moderately deaf and relies on hearing aids and lip reading. She contacted an energy supplier to request information over the telephone. The call went to a call centre in another part of the country and communication was very difficult for Pam, not only because of a strong accent but because of background noise in the call centre. The response she got was one of impatience and in the end the operator hung up on her.

People’s information and advice needs  Understanding their bills  Whether they are on the best tariff  Whether they can get help with bills and managing energy use  Being able to communicate with suppliers  Getting the right help in the right way

Why change?  Essential service affecting people’s health and well-being  If people’s needs aren’t met, the consequences can be serious  But the evidence shows that current policies and practices often make problems worse instead of solving them