Decision Paper - Code of Practice on Energy Supplier Customer Service Levels
| Published date | 26 November 2024 |
| Year | 2024 |
| Energy Sector | Electricity retail |
1
Energy Supplier Customer
Service Levels
New Code of Practice on Customer Service and
accompanying licence modifications
Utility Regulator Decision Paper
26 November 2024
2
About the Utility Regulator
The Utility Regulator is the independent non-ministerial government department
responsible for regulating Northern Ireland’s electricity, gas, water and sewerage
industries, to promote the short and long-term interests of consumers.
We are not a policy-making department of government, but we make sure that the
energy and water utility industries in Northern Ireland are regulated and
developed within ministerial policy as set out in our statutory duties.
We are governed by a Board of Directors and are accountable to the Northern
Ireland Assembly through financial and annual reporting obligations.
We are based at Queens House in the centre of Belfast. The Chief Executive and
two Executive Directors lead teams in each of the main functional areas in the
organisation: CEO Office; Price Controls; Networks and Energy Futures; Markets;
Consumer Protection and Enforcement. The staff team includes economists,
engineers, accountants, utility specialists, legal advisors and administration
professionals.
3
Abstract
This paper details our decisions following a consultation on proposed
mandatory requirements for energy supplier customer service levels for
domestic customers, across the four areas outlined below:
a) Consumers in vulnerable circumstances;
b) Customer contact centre services (this includes call centres and all
mediums of written contact with consumers including social media platforms
and emails);
c) Setting fixed direct debits (at a set amount each month); and
d) Returning of customer credit that has accrued on the customer account.
This paper outlines the feedback from our consultation, our responses to
the comments received and our subsequent decisions. This document sets
out our decisions to implement a new Code of Practice on Customer
Service (set out in Appendix 1) and licence modifications in relation to
setting fixed direct debits and return of customer credit. The statutory notice
and consultation on the proposed licence amendments has been published
alongside this paper.
Audience
This document is most likely to be of interest to regulated companies in the
energy industry, consumer organisations and representatives, community and
voluntary organisations, natural gas and electricity consumers, government,
and other statutory bodies.
Consumer impact
These measures were developed to remedy customer service level failings
impacting a significant number of energy consumers. Implementation of our
decisions will require consistent good practice across all energy suppliers,
increase the level of consumer protection, and improve the standards of
service that domestic customers receive from their energy supplier in key
customer service areas. This includes consumers in vulnerable
circumstances, customer contact centre services, processes for fixed direct
debits and the return of customer credit.
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