LE slapped with £2 million fine for unscrupulous sales tactics

LE slapped with £2 million fine for unscrupulous sales tactics But who's going to help consumers who've already been targeted? uSwitch.com, the independent price comparison service, backs Ofgem's decision to fine London Electricity £2 million for its unscrupulous door- too-door sales tactics but fears the penalty will do little to help consumers who have already fallen victim to these salesmen. Jon Miller, uSwitch.com Head of Product Development said: "We are pleased to see Ofgem is finally taking energy misselling seriously. Suppliers must be forced to take responsibility for their actions." "However, this fine does not compensate those who have been induced to change suppliers without knowing whether or not they were getting a fair deal." uSwitch.com wants to redress this balance and is urging all consumers targeted by aggressive energy salespeople to log onto its free, impartial comparison service to see if they are making the savings promised at the door. "We've all experienced biased, pushy salesmen at the door but most people don't know they can compare all gas and electricity suppliers for free using the uSwitch.com calculator," Mr Miller said. "Simply put your postcode and a few details about your usage into our site and we will list your expected bills with all suppliers available in your area." Mr Miller continued: "Ofgem have done a good job establishing competition in the energy market by creating conditions which allow suppliers to compete on a level playing field. However, much of this good work is being undone by the aggressive tactics of some door-to-door salespeople. "The continued high level of misselling is undermining consumer confidence in the transfer and switching process." uSwitch believes that Ofgem and energywatch have a responsibility to promote government-accredited services such as uSwitch so the public knows they can get impartial advice on energy companies. Most consumers know they can make savings on energy bills but are not sure where to turn. People should ignore the knock at the door and log on to impartial price comparison service uSwitch.com. For more information visit uSwitch.com or call 0800 093 06 07 -Ends- For further information contact: · Heather Peacocke, uSwitch.com on 020 7802 2929 or heatherpeacocke@uswitch.com · Jon Miller, uSwitch.com on 020 7802 2929 or jonmiller@uswitch.com · Lisa Ashley, Lansons Communications on 020 7294 3683 or lisaa@lansons.com · Service summary uSwitch.com is a free Internet service which gives consumers access to the best deal on home services such as gas, electricity, home and mobile telephony. Using a unique 'calculator' to evaluate a number of factors, including price, service, location, payment method of package, it advises consumers on the most suitable supplier for their individual needs. If they choose to, customers can then switch to the alternative supplier while online. The service is also available via telephone, fax and postal service. Consumers simply call 0845 601 2856, fax 020 7233 5933 or write to Customer Services, uSwitch.com, Victoria Station House, 191 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5NE, with their postcode and usage details. uSwitch.com is the first service to compare offerings from a complete range of suppliers. uSwitch.com is not a supplier, and, as such, it acts as an independent advisor, giving consumers an impartial view of what's on offer and making it easier for them to choose the most appropriate deal. The service is based on the most up-to-date published information from suppliers and regulators. For energy comparison, uSwitch.com has developed its own service standards league tables for suppliers based on official performance statistics. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/10/10/20021010BIT00540/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/10/10/20021010BIT00540/wkr0002.pdf