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Energy users can’t get no satisfaction, says Which?
AS
the spotlight grows on energy suppliers, Which? reveals that they
are the lowest performing of all industries when it comes to
customer satisfaction. In the 1st ever energy supplier
satisfaction survey from the consumer group, 5 of the big 6
companies achieved satisfaction scores of less than 50%, but it was
Npower that performed worst with a score of only 32%.
Npower’s customers gave it a resounding thumbs-down for its billing,
customer service online support, telephone support and value for
money. British Gas, who recently hiked gas prices by a record 35%,
also performed poorly, scoring just 40% for overall satisfaction and
awarded just 1 out of 5 for value for money. Utility Warehouse
was rated the best supplier in the survey, with a satisfaction score
of 72%. Customers awarded the company excellent marks for customer
service, the quality of its telephone support and value for money.
1 in 5 Which? members surveyed experienced problems with their
supplier over the past 12 months. These included not getting bills
or getting bills with errors on them, suppliers not coming to read
the meter and problems contacting or resolving queries with
suppliers. In addition, just one in three told Which? they’d
received any advice on how to save energy.
Suppliers could also be setting direct debits too high. More than 1
in 5 gas customers and around 1 in 6 electricity customers who pay
by direct debit and were in credit with their suppliers said the
credit on their account was more than £100. As a result, Which?
estimates direct debit customers could have overpaid by around £660m
in total.
Jess Ross, Editor, which.co.uk, says:- “This is the 1st time
that we’ve asked members about their energy suppliers and we’re
shocked to see the results – too many suppliers are letting
customers down and charging them more and more for the privilege!
These companies are providing essential services that people can’t
live without, but this isn’t an excuse to offer poor value for
money.”
9 out of 10 members who’d switched energy suppliers in the last 12
months said that it was easy to switch, and customers who’ve never
switched before can save around £250 a year. Switch with Which?, can
help find the best value tariffs and also has the following tips to
help concerned customers save money:-
► A ‘dual fuel’ tariff, where you get gas and electricity from one
supplier, can save you around £150 a year
► If you get an online tariff you’ll often get a substantial
discount too
► Give your supplier regular meter reading to avoid inaccuracies
► Energy Efficiency grants are available for improvements to your
home – contact the Energy Saving Trust to save money and reduce
carbon emissions at the same time
► If you pay by direct debit and your account shows large credit or
debit, contact your supplier immediately
► Don’t forget to turn off your lights when you leave a room!
Customers can find out how their supplier fared via going
online.
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Not so super fuel
FUEL companies
make bold claims for ‘super fuels’, but Which? Car reveals that they
don’t save you money, improve your car’s performance, or save the
environment.
Super fuels are more expensive at the pumps but advertisers often
claim they can optimise a car’s economy and increase power. But
Which? Car tested 3 super fuels (Shell V-Power, Tesco Super Unleaded
and BP Ultimate Diesel) against standard fuels, and found little
justification for using them.
► Shell V-Power gave a Ford Focus 1.6** a marginal power increase.
However, filling the car on this petrol for 12,000 miles will cost
£115 more than using Shell’s standard petrol. Tesco Super Unleaded
actually decreased the power of the Focus.
► The VW Golf’s hi-tech 1.4 TSI engine responded well to Shell
V-Power, but there was little to choose between super fuels and
ordinary petrol on economy and emissions.
► The economy and performance of the Renault Megane 1.5 diesel were
both slightly worse using BP Ultimate diesel, the super fuel
furthest from the marketing claims in the test.
Each super fuel had only a marginal effect on the emissions of
measured pollutants, seemingly putting paid to environmental claims.
To cut a car’s emissions, it’s better to drive less and more
economically, rather than switch fuels.
There may be benefits to using super fuels in the long-term as they
include detergents to improve engine longevity. However, Which?
thinks any break-even point in terms of reduced repair bills could
take many years to reach.
Richard Headland, Editor, Which? Car, says:- “For many cars
it’s a waste of money paying over the odds for so-called ‘super
fuels’. The standard fuels we tested were all up to the job, whether
from a major fuel brand or a supermarket. There’s no conclusive
evidence to show that super fuels are better for your car in the
long run - so in a time of high oil prices, why would you choose to
pay more?”
Funny news this week:-
"Safe sex ring tone sings 'Condom, condom!'"
YES, it is
true,,, you can now get a ring tone for your phone that sings:-
"Condom, condom!" in true multipart harmony, thanks to the
BBC World Service Trust.
This quite catchy ring tone can be played
and downloaded via visiting
condomcondom.org;
But we can see it being quite embarrassing for the man holding the
phone with a female present... Worse still when you are in the local
pub with an attractive lady by you!
Ultimately though their is a
serious side to this ring tone as approximately 2.5 million people
are living with HIV in India, where this campaign is targeting. Out
of that number an estimated 52 million are men. This unusual
campaign is being funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation with the backing of the National AIDS Control
Organization and is one of many adverts being put out across India
over the next 3 years. It's aim is to make condom usage more
socially acceptable over the next 3 years in India.
The creative
director of the BBC World Service Trust India, Radharani Mitra told
the media that:- "Ring tones have become such personal
statements that a specially created condom ring tone seemed just the
right way of combining a practical message with a fun approach."
Have a listen to the 'condom a cappella' ring tone via
logging on to their website and let us know if you have downloaded
it! Also do you think we should look at adopting this
type of approach over here? Emailing our newsroom to
news24@southportreporter.com
with your views on this reportedly fun song. |
