E.ON Next and Shell Energy became signatories to the Energy UK Vulnerability Commitment at the start of 2023, according to the third Vulnerability Commitment Good Practice report published by the industry body1. Their addition took the voluntary scheme to 13 signatories, which Energy UK says cover over 90% of the UK domestic retail market1.
The Commitment was launched by Energy UK in 2020 and is signed by suppliers who pledge to keep improving how they identify and support customers in vulnerable circumstances, over and above existing licence requirements1. The 2023 signatories listed in the report are British Gas, E, Ecotricity, EDF, E.ON Next, Good Energy, Octopus Energy, Outfox the Market, OVO Energy, ScottishPower, Shell Energy, SO Energy and Utility Warehouse1.
Energy UK also changed the Commitment itself during its third year. Following a planned review by its Advisory Board on the scheme's second anniversary, a fourth principle, Keeping Customers on Supply, was added to the existing three principles of Innovation, Collaboration and Accessibility, along with new sub-commitments including a requirement to drive continuous improvement in digital accessibility1.
"We were pleased to welcome two new signatories at the start of 2023, E.ON Next and Shell Energy."
Compliance was monitored through a statement signed by each participating supplier's board level Vulnerability Champion, a detailed Request for Information seeking evidence against 12 specific commitments, and expert panel hearings covering the role of the Vulnerability Champion, data collection on vulnerable customers, and data collected from front-line staff1. The report also records that Octopus Energy launched its Energy Helpers programme in September 2022, completing 218,000 home visits1, and that Bulb's 1.5 million customers were migrated to Octopus Energy following the company's placement into special administration1.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Signatories at start of 2023 | 13 |
| New signatories | E.ON Next, Shell Energy |
| Share of UK domestic retail market covered | Over 90% |
| Principles | Innovation, Collaboration, Accessibility, Keeping Customers on Supply |
| Specific commitments monitored | 12 |
Why it matters for households
The Commitment is voluntary and sits on top of suppliers' licence obligations, so its reach depends on which company bills a home1. With 13 signatories said to cover more than 90% of the domestic market, most households are supplied by a company that has pledged to keep improving how it finds and helps customers in vulnerable circumstances1. For a household, that can shape how easily a supplier identifies a need such as a medical dependency on power, a prepayment meter that is no longer safe, or difficulty paying, and what support follows. The report notes that suppliers' vulnerability programmes rarely attract media coverage, and that the more customers disclose their needs, the greater the chance they get support1. It also records that regulatory changes over the use of court warrants to force the fitting of prepayment meters will require a further review of the Commitment, because some voluntary sub-commitments will now be mandatory1. The report does not set out which sub-commitments become mandatory or on what timetable.
What happens next
The report states that the regulatory changes on prepayment meter warrants will require a further review of the Vulnerability Commitment1. The Advisory Board meets twice a year to scrutinise the scheme and review suppliers' specific commitments to ensure they remain relevant to consumers1. No dates for that review are given in the report.
Sources1 cited
- Vulnerability Commitment Good Practice guide 2023 - Energy UK, energy-uk.org.uk