Energy Charter
| Published date | 23 November 2022 |
| Year | 2022 |
| Energy Sector | Corporate |
Consumer
Energy Charter
OVERARCHING PRINCIPLES
Financial commitment
Electricity and gas suppliers will commit to making a
nancial contribution to a hardship fund to support
customers struggling to pay their bills.
Pre-payment meter customer commitment
From 1 December 2022, electricity and gas suppliers will
support those in debt by reducing the debt repayment
amount from a maximum of 40% down to 20%. In
addition, they will also undertake a bespoke assessment
of the customer’s ability to pay.
Electricity and gas suppliers will ensure that customers
on their customer care registers are not moved on to a
pre-payment meter, unless the customer requests it.
Electricity and gas suppliers will not compel customers in
debt to move onto a pre-payment meter over the
Christmas period (16 December 2022 to 20 January 2023),
unless specically requested by the customer.
Debt
For all credit customers, electricity and gas suppliers will
continue to assess customers’ ability to pay, and if this
identies any issues, they will look to reducing repayment
rates and/or extending debt repayment timeframes.
Electricity and gas suppliers will review and commit that
debt collections processes, including those carried out by
their agents, will be strictly conducted in line with the
Utility Regulator’s Code of Practice for Payment of Bills.
Electricity and gas suppliers will make contact with those
on their customer care registers and inform them of the
best available tariffs.
Communications
Electricity and gas suppliers, government and consumer
bodies will together, provide up-to-date, accurate
information to consumers through the Consumer
Council’s website, and their own individual social media
channels.
Suppliers will have staff appropriately trained to deal with
the needs of vulnerable consumers and make this option
clear to on their websites and other customer
communications.
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• The commitments within the Energy
Charter have been made on a voluntary
basis.
• All signatories will use best endeavours
to implement the commitments as soon
as they can and adhere to them to 31
March 2023.
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