Scots abandon Big Six energy f irms in bid to save on bills

THoUSANDS of Scots are abandoning the Big Six energy companies as they try to cut down on their heating bills.

In the past three years one in four customers chose to change their energy tariff, a damning industry study shows.

The market share of the major providers has also dropped – they are now responsible for supplying only two thirds of the bill-paying public, compared to three quarters in 2017.

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS), which carried out the survey, said customers had lost trust in big brands British Gas, Scottish Power, SSE, EDF Npower and Eon. The charity said rising prices and poor customer service had contributed to the exodus from the traditional energy firms.

The CAS report also shows that one in eight people north of the Border admitted struggling to pay their gas and electricity bills. only half felt their bills were ‘affordable’.

The findings come despite the introduction of UK Government price cap legislation meant to tackle ‘rip-off’ tariffs.

CAS fair markets spokesman Dr Jamie Stewart said: ‘It’s notable that more than one in ten consumers feel their bills

‘A proportion still struggle’

are unaffordable. our report highlights the key divide in the nation, with some appearing to manage the cost of energy while a significant proportion of society continue to struggle.

‘More needs to be done to ensure that the essential service of energy is affordable for everyone in Scotland.

‘That affordability question appears to be driving some consumers to switch from a traditional Big Six supplier to smaller, newer companies.

‘However this comes against a backdrop of suppliers failing across the UK, with 12 companies failing between June 2018 and June 2019, affecting more than one million consumers across the UK.’

The report shows British Gas has the biggest market share at 18 per cent, then Scottish Power at 16 per cent and SSE at 15 per cent. But all of the Big Six have seen their market share drop by one or two percentage points since last year, giving way to smaller suppliers such as Bulb, Shell Energy and ovo.

CAS said the proportion of those who had switched supplier in the past 12 months continued to rise, ‘with significantly more switching among homeowners than renters’.

The report added: ‘Those who have moved supplier are more likely to have moved to a non-Big Six company from one of the Big Six, the latter having lost most customers in the past 12 months.’

However, the study of 3,500 people found that despite switching, only 48 per cent considered their bills affordable. A further 12 per cent rated their bill as unaffordable, of which 3 per cent said their tariffs were ‘completely unaffordable’.

A generation gap was also evident, with those under 35 feeling the squeeze more than the over-65s. only 14 per cent of young people said their bill was affordable, compared to 33 per cent of pensioners.

A Money Mail investigation last month saw a dossier of complaints about the Big Six handed to industry regulator ofgem after we revealed some customers had to wait up to a year for refunds and others complained of having direct debits hiked for no reason.

Audrey Gallacher, of trade association body Energy UK, said switching levels were at a record high last year.

But she added: ‘The most effective way to lower energy bills is through energy-efficiency measures, which saves both energy and money while helping the environment.’