Sarah Edwards, MP for Tamworth and the Villages and a member of the influential Business and Trade Select Committee, is calling on small businesses to speak up about their experiences with energy companies – particularly where the Energy Ombudsman has fallen short.
Sarah is rightly concerned about the scale of poor practice in the sector, saying:
“How many businesses and jobs have been lost due to the behaviour of energy companies. Incorrect billing and maladministration are rife within the energy sector. Government must stand by our beloved small and independent businesses, and demonstrate that no firm is too large to be above the law or common standards of decency.”
She is especially keen to hear from businesses that have been left frustrated or out of pocket after dealing with the Energy Ombudsman, where outcomes have been, frankly, tawdry at best.
With Ofgem confirming that ten suppliers have paid over £7 million in compensation for overcharging and with average Ombudsman awards for small businesses still below £200, it’s clear that the system isn’t delivering justice.
Sarah is pushing for a joint evidence session in Parliament between Energy Security and Net Zero and the Business and Trade Select Committees to hold energy suppliers to account and has launched a call for evidence to back this up with real-world testimony.
Please share this survey with your clients, especially those who have made complaints or suffered from supplier mishandling, and help amplify the voice of small businesses:
https://www.sarahedwards.org.uk/businessenergysurvey