Energy market reform must help Scottish customers, says CAS

Energy market reform must take the needs of Scottish customers into account, Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) has said.

The UK energy market has been investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) since June last year, after a referral by regulator Ofgem.

CAS is calling for the body to be bold in its recommendations.

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With a higher proportion of Scots using pre-payment meters and electric heating compared with the rest of Britain, while often facing lower temperatures, CAS has called for more support for those north of the border.

The CMA published its provisional report into the energy market in July, finding consumers in Scotland are less likely to switch than the British average, with 29 per cent of Scottish consumers having been with their supplier for more than 10 years, compared with 21 per cent in England.

It also found that 65 per cent of consumers in Scotland are with an incumbent supplier, compared with 53 per cent in England.

Ahead of an appearance in front of the CMA, CAS consumer spokesperson Sarah Beattie-Smith said: “With almost 40% of Scots in fuel poverty and nearly 1 in 5 people reliant on expensive prepayment meters for their energy, it’s vital that the CMA investigation is bold in its recommendations for change in the energy market.

“The evidence shows that Scottish consumers are suffering more than people elsewhere in the UK, and we need an energy market that works for us in Scotland.

“Consumers with prepayment meters and electric only heating often find themselves unable to switch energy tariff or supplier, meaning they’re stuck paying way over the odds. People on the lowest incomes are therefore struggling to stay warm in some of the coldest parts of the UK. We need to see much greater support for these consumers to help them switch, save and to stay warm for less.”