Utilities

Consumers have been warned the cost of new energy deals is creeping up, after Scottish Power became the second provider in a month to replace its online tariff with a more expensive offer.

Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has been fined £1.25 million for mis-selling during door-to-door sales.

Collective switching by consumers between utility firms could put an end to poor deals and unresponsiveness from suppliers, according to a report.

The gap between the 'true cost' of energy and what consumers actually pay will swell to nearly £2 billion in 2020 unless there is tougher regulation, a think tank warned today.

Home insurance and repairs company HomeServe has today been fined £750,000 by telecoms regulator Ofcom for making excessive silent and abandoned calls to consumers.

The big six energy companies – EDF, Eon, British Gas, Scottish and Southern Energy, Scottish Power and Npower – have agreed to write to customers every year to tell them the firm's best tariffs for them and how to get it, the Government will announce today.

Energy regulator Ofgem has opened an investigation into whether industry giant Eon is mis-selling to consumers.

More than half of EDF's customers are unhappy with the service they get when they complain to the energy giant, according to a survey by the industry regulator.

A rival to consumer group Which?'s Big Switch campaign has been launched by Energyhelpline.com.