Energy supplier rating - decision document on a rating for smaller supplier performance
The Citizens Advice energy supplier rating was first published in 2016.
It allows consumers to make informed switching decisions and provides accessible information about energy supplier performance. It is published on our website and integrated into the results page of our price comparison website (PCW).
In July we published a consultation on developing a rating for smaller supplier performance. We held a workshop in August with suppliers and other interested stakeholders to discuss our proposals on expanding the rating to include nearly 100% market coverage. Our aim is to provide a regularly updated star rating for as many domestic suppliers as possible.
We also consulted stakeholders about minor changes to the rating methodology, in response to regulatory and market changes.
After reviewing the responses to the consultation, we have made the following decisions to:
reduce the threshold for automatic inclusion to all suppliers with over 25,000 meter points
use the same metrics as the existing supplier rating for suppliers with over 25,000 meter points
lower the requirement for company referrals from the consumer service to all suppliers with over 25,000 meter points
change the complaints ratio by lowering the weighting to per 10,000 meter points for all suppliers
We also decided to use the complaints score as a tie-break in the ranking when suppliers receive the same rating. We made this change from the October 2018 release onwards.
As stated in the consultation document, we will work with suppliers as they enter the market and as the threshold is approached, to ensure they understand their obligations.
Responses 1.62 MB to the consultation have been published alongside the decision 227 KB here.