Suppliers meet with charities to propose additional help for customers

The group agreed to work on a series of immediate changes that can be implemented as soon as possible

Charities and consumer groups have met with energy suppliers to discuss potential measures that could help households amid the energy crisis.

Representatives from charities Citizens Advice, National Energy Action and StepChange and Martin Lewis of Money Saving Expert met with the Chief Executive Officers of OVO, British Gas, Octopus, E.ON, EDF and Shell.

The group agreed on changes that can be implemented before the winter.

The measures include work to improve the understanding of how direct debits are set and the creation of a priority call line for charities’ energy advisors.

They also committed to working together to ask the regulator to shift the burden in the price cap away from the standing charge and ensure that those who cannot pay their bills are treated fairly.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Founder of OVO, said: “This is going to be a very difficult winter for millions of customers. The problem is so big that we really need more support for vulnerable customers from the government, but we also need to do everything we can to help as much as possible.”

Martin Lewis, Founder of Money Saving Expert, said: “This winter will be catastrophic, the hideous spikes in wholesale energy will translate by October into Ofgem setting a price cap for a typical bill of around £3,000 a year – close to four times what some paid just two years go. It will push millions into poverty.”

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