E.ON stops doorstep selling
July 9, 2012 at 10:17 am
Doorstep selling by power companies could soon become a thing of the past after E.ON announced that it will be bringing an end to the practice in the near future. The announcement means that E.ON is the last of the Big Six energy companies to end the controversial sales practice.
Cold calling by energy companies has plagued the industry for years, and the practice recently came under fire when Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) was prosecuted last year by Surrey Trading Standards for mis-selling to customers using the technique.
It was claimed that staff of the energy firm were provided with sales material which was misleading, and now 400,000 customers have been offered compensation if they feel they were mis-sold to.
E.ON’s decision to bring an end to the practice was one of a series of measures announced by the company in its bid to improve its customer relations.
This comes after Ofgem said back in April that it was to investigate the company’s selling techniques to see whether it was mis-selling to customers.
E.ON says that it has now carried out a review and it has listened to its customers. It has asked over 28,000 customers for their opinions, as well as leading consumer groups such as Consumer Focus and Which?
Another of the changes it is planning to introduce is the introduction of a single-page bill, and it claims it is the first of the big energy firms to do this. This will be more customer friendly because it will be easier to read and understand.
It will also allow customers to check online or call the customer services division to find out whether they are on the cheapest tariff for the amount of energy they use.
It’s good to see a large national company take the steps and stop cold calling. My wife looks after our children at home and I’ve always been uneasy with cold callers. My local council, Dudley Council, has launched a guide on how to beware of door step scammers, good read.