CONFUSED.COM WELCOMES OFGEM INVESTIGATION INTO DOOR-STEP MISSELLING

CONFUSED.COM WELCOMES OFGEM INVESTIGATION INTO DOOR-STEP MISSELLING Comparison site has long called for consumer caution over front door purchases Confused.com has welcomed the announcement from Ofgem that they will be launching an investigation into door-step and telephone energy misselling. The comparison site first highlighted its concerns over this type of energy switching in summer 2009, calling for consumers to exercise extreme caution and shop around. It also called on energy providers to be more open and honest about the price differentials between on-line and off-line tariffs. According to Confused.com’s calculations, households could end up paying over £160* more than they need to on their bills by signing up to deals offered by door to door salesmen. Confused.com says salesmen from gas and electricity companies are prolific during the warmer months, and warned that they could be duping customers by not showing the cheapest tariffs available. The elderly and vulnerable are particularly at risk as they are more likely to be taken in by the convenience of a salesman and less likely to be internet savvy. Gareth Kloet, Head of Utilities at Confused.com, said: "It is unacceptable for energy companies to mislead customers like this. We welcome the Ofgem investigation, having urged energy providers to either stop the practice of doorstep selling or make it very clear to households that better deals are available online. There is no reason why door-to-door salesmen can’t show people online deals and even help households switch to them.” Confused.com warns consumers that: • salesmen will only ever be able to talk about the company they work for; • the only way to compare all available tariffs, from all providers, is via a Consumer Focus accredited energy comparison site; • many tariffs only require online set-up and not online continual management, so consumers who don’t have regular access to a computer can still take advantage of the best deals; • falling for the sales patter of door to door salesmen could add over £160 to energy bills. Kloet continues; “Our research reveals customers could end up paying £167* more than they need to as door-to-door salesmen are unable to offer the discounts that are applied online. The changes that have been made to date are a welcome addition to safeguard customers; however this review has been much needed for a long time. Hopefully it will mark the end of customers being overcharged and missold. Our message to energy consumers remains the same: they should shop around online to make sure they’re getting the best deal possible and turn these salesmen away.” Ends For further information please contact: Press Office Confused.com 02920 434 393 pressoffice@confused.com About Confused.com: Confused.com is one of the UK’s biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include home insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance, van insurance, motorbike insurance, breakdown cover and energy, as well as financial services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance. Confused.com has all of the ‘big six’ energy providers on its panel, 50% of customers saved £282.85 *Jan – Jun 2010). Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides a free, objective and unbiased comparison service. By using cutting-edge technology, it has developed a series of intelligent web-based solutions that evaluate a number of risk factors to help customers with their decision-making, subsequently finding them great deals on a wide-range of insurance products, financial services, utilities and more. Confused.com’s service is based on the most up-to-date information provided by UK suppliers and industry regulators. Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.