PEOPLE switching from government regulated electricity or gas tariffs to market-price options with other firms can return to regulated prices after six months. The new rules, passed by parliament, have been set up to encourage more people to try alternative tariffs.
Previously it was not possible to switch back to government tariffs on gas and the option for those who changed electrical supplier was originally stopped this early this year but these new laws may encourage more people to try an alternative supplier. A recent survey showed only 2% of people were thinking of changing their electricity or gas supplier, down from a third who were interested before the market was opened up in 2007. The study also looked at how many people had already changed suppliers – just 2% for gas and 3% for electricity. The body has described deregulation of the market as “a fiasco” because the take-up is so low. Among those questioned who were considering a change, 49% said their priority would be a better price, 23% said the use of environmentally-friendly production methods would sway them and 15% said they would do it for a better service.
