Big Six Energy Companies Split by Barry's Campaign to End Doorstep Selling
Slowly but surely the Big Six Energy Companies are crumbling. This comes after Barry wrote to all the Big Six Chief Executives to demand they stop their doorstep selling practices.
Barry challenged the Big Six back in April to "Get off our Doorsteps" when he asked each of the companies' representatives whether any of them had ever bought a major financial purchase like energy from a cold-call doorstep sales rep. Not one could claim they had and they admitted that they would never recommend that their children should either!
First Scottish & Southern Energy announced that they would cease doorstep sales. This was followed by British Gas/Centrica.
In August Barry wrote to all the other chief executives. On the 30th of August E.ON's CEO Dr. Paul Golby responded refusing to end doorstep sales, with a letter attempting to justify the practise. He stepped down the following day.
On the 1st of September, RWE nPower's CEO Volker Beckers wrote back accepting that change was necessary, but did not state when his company would stop. Finally EDF Energy replied on the 7th September agreeing to end unsolicited door-step selling.
Scottish Power stated that they propose to continue cold calling on people.
E.ON and Scottish Power thus remain the last two companies amongst Britain's largest six energy firms which do not intend to stop selling energy contracts on the doorstep, a practice which has attracted widespread public criticism.
Barry has now written to the new CEO of E.ON Mr. Tony Cocker asking him to change the company policy as follows:
Dear Mr. CockerCongratulations on your appointment to lead E.ON UK. I look forward to meeting you in due course through the Energy & Climate Change Select Committee.I would like to take this opportunity straight away to alert you to one of the serious concerns I and other parliamentary colleagues have about E.ON UK's continued practice of doorstep selling. Following my questions to all of the Big Six at a select committee hearing earlier this year, you will be aware that Scottish & Southern and subsequently Centrica – British Gas, announced they would cease the practice of cold doorstep sales. In July I wrote to the other Chief Executives and you will know that RWE nPower have accepted that "there needs to be a transition from cold sales on the door step". Yesterday EDF Energy announced that they too had "suspended un-solicited door to door selling of residential energy".Earlier this week I received a response from your predecessor, Dr Golby, justifying the continuation of doorstep selling as long as it is done openly, honestly and accurately. His response failed to address the issue of undue pressure put on people by such unsolicited face to face encounters.E.ON UK is now in the minority o f energy companies in justifying cold selling on the doorstep of such a major financial purchase. Politicians from all political parties believe that this should stop. The public do not like this method of pressure sales. Our Select Committee has been quite clear in urging companies to desist from such practices and I would ask that you review this policy at an early date and announce a date from which E.ON UK will commit to ending cold doorstep sales.I look forward to hearing from you.As a member of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee Barry will continue campaigning for a fairer deal for Britain's energy consumers.
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