OFGEM SET COMPO PLAN

ENERGY suppliers will have to automatically compensate customers if the switching process goes wrong under proposals announced by industry regulators Ofgem yesterday.

Customers would receive at least £30 for each problem they experience. Examples include being mistakenly switched to another supplier, or switches taking longer than 21 days. The proposals should be in place by the end of this year.

It comes as switching reached a near 10-year high in 2017 with 5.1million electricity and 4.1million gas customers changing providers.

Rob Salter-Church from Ofgem said: “While the vast majority of switches go smoothly, too many problems are still occurring.

“These can cause inconvenience, and in some cases, real worry.”