Consultation outcome

Switching suppliers – making it easy for consumers

• From: Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
• Published: 22 October 2015
• Last updated: 25 May 2016 — See all updates

This was published under the 2015 to 2016 Cameron Conservative government

This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Call for evidence: switching principles - government response

Ref: BIS/16/155

PDF, 2 MB, 50 pages

Detail of outcome

Following the responses to the call for evidence, and drawing on the wide body of evidence, we’re considering legislative options for switching in the communications sectors.

We’re also considering how to make switching even easier. We’re working with the regulators to look at the time it takes to switch in different sectors.

This publication sets out the government’s response to the call for evidence on switching and next steps in the form of an action plan.

Read and respond to ‘Improving the consumer landscape and quicker switching: call for evidence’.

Detail of feedback received

We received responses from 59 organisations. These mainly came from the following sectors:

• telecoms
• energy
• banking
• insurance
• regulators
• price comparison websites

Others included consumer organisations, academics, non-departmental public bodies, charities and credit reference agencies.

We also received responses from 505 consumers and over 6,000 responded via the Which? survey.

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Original consultation

Summary

We're asking consumers to share their experiences on switching suppliers and how the process could be improved.

This consultation ran from
12:15am on 22 October 2015 to 11:45pm on 4 December 2015

Consultation description

This call for evidence asks consumers to share their experiences on switching suppliers and how the process could be improved. We welcome any views and experiences of switching suppliers for:

• energy
• telecommunications
• banking (current accounts)

The call for evidence proposes 6 principles which suppliers should follow to make switching easier for consumers.

We’re also interested in the views of regulators and industry on the barriers to implementing these principles in their sectors.

Documents

Call for evidence: switching principles

Ref: BIS/15/533

PDF, 475 KB, 53 pages

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Published 22 October 2015
Last updated 25 May 2016 + show all updates

1. 25 May 2016

   Added government response.

2. 22 October 2015

   First published.