Ofgem chief wants less ‘heavy handed' approach

THE boss of Ofgem has said he wants to be less "heavy-handed" in policing energy firms, including only taking enforcement action in "serious cases" of companies failing customers.

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Jonathan Brearley said he wants to take a "proportionate, intelligent" approach to regulating customer issues in the coming years.

He said: "The fact is that over the last few years Ofgem has had to intervene in light of poor services and poor practice for some suppliers.

"However, I also recognise that at times, our past approach has been unwieldy, potentially heavy-handed and bureaucratic."

But he added that firms need to "do more than the regulatory minimum" in return. That includes providing faster redress payments for issues like poor smart meter installation services or incorrect billing.