O2 fined £150,000 over billing issues

Ofcom has fined telecoms operator, O2, £150,000 for failing to provide complete and accurate information to us during our investigation into the company’s billing issues. In a statement, Ofcom said “We regularly make statutory requests for information from companies as part of our work to protect consumers. This evidence is vital to our decision-making, and…

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Ofgem appoints Scottish Power to take on customers of Entice and Orbit Energy

1st December 2021 Consumer Collections |

Ofgem has appointed Scottish Power to take on supplying Entice Energy and Orbit Energy’s combined total of approximately 70,400 domestic customers. This follows a competitive process run by Ofgem to get the best deal possible for customers. Funds that current and former domestic customers of the suppliers have paid into their accounts will be protected,…

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FCA calls on lenders to amend criteria to help mortgage prisoners

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has urged banks and building societies to consider changing lending criteria to help an estimated 47,000 borrowers who could benefit from a cheaper mortgage but are currently unable to move. The regulator’s review of mortgage prisoners found that about 195,000 households have had debts sold on to inactive lenders, with…

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FCA revamps decision-making to tackle consumer harm

29th November 2021 Consumer Collections | #regulation

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has reformed its decision-making process to ensure it can make faster and more effective decisions for consumers, markets and firms. As part of its transformation to a more innovative and assertive regulator, more decisions will be taken by the FCA’s senior managers rather than by the Regulatory Decisions Committee (RDC). The…

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Warning that fuel poor older households will top a million by the Spring without financial help

New analysis by Age UK has shown that without more Government financial help, fuel poor older households will top a million by the Spring. The charity has warned that soaring energy costs will push an estimated 150,000 extra older households into fuel poverty this winter as a result of of soaring energy prices. With around…

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Call for ‘combined effort’ to safeguard consumers against debt packager companies

26th November 2021 Consumer Collections | #regulation

FCA approved, debt management firm, MoneyPlus Advice has enthusiastically welcomed the Financial Conduct Authority’s move to ban debt packager firms from receiving referral fees. MoneyPlus Advice says the proposed regulation will do little to prevent such firms from finding ways to avert these actions therefore, the involvement and support from other professional bodies, such as…

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Orbit and Entice become the latest energy firms to go bust

26th November 2021 Business | #utilities

Ofgem has announced the collapse of two more energy firms as number of households affected by a supplier failure nears 4 million. That brings the total number of suppliers that have failed to 24 in fewer than 12 weeks, Entice Energy, which comprises both Entice Energy Supply and Simply Your Energy, and Orbit Energy, are to…

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Government support of Bulb set to cost £1.7bn

25th November 2021 Business | #utilities

Government support of energy provider Bulb, which is set to continue to operate under a Special Administration Regime (SAR), is set to cost £1.7billion. The funds will allow Bulb to continue supplying energy to customers. Bulb will be run by administrator Teneo until a buyer can be found or until its customers have moved. A…

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PayPoint donates £12.5m to Ofgem’s voluntary redress fund following competition investigation

23rd November 2021 Consumer Collections | #utilities

Energy regulator, Ofgem has decided to accept commitments from PayPoint and a donation of £12.5 million to the regulator’s Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme, following an investigation into whether PayPoint has infringed Chapter II of the Competition Act 1998. PayPoint provides services to energy suppliers which enable their energy prepayment meter customers to top up…

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Marston Holdings wins place on transport technology and associated services framework

23rd November 2021 Consumer Collections |

Enforcement solutions specialist, Marston Holdings has announced that it has won a place on Crown Commercial Service’s Transport Technology and Associated Services (TTAS) framework. The new framework runs through to 31st October 2025 and makes it easier for government and public sector organisations to procure Marston’s full range of design, build and enforce solutions that…

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Bulb Energy announces administration measures

Bulb Energy, which has 1.7 million customers, has announced that the firm will be put into administration. The energy firm has confirmed it will enter the special administration regime (SAR), becoming the first energy supplier to do so. The decision to place a company into a Special Administration Regime is made by the court upon…

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Personal insolvencies fell by 3% in October 2021

Latest figures from the Insolvency Service have indicated that Personal insolvencies fell by 3.0% to 9,668 in October 2021 compared to 9,966 in September 2021, and were 19.2% lower than October 2020’s figure of 11,960. There were 601 bankruptcies were registered, which was 44% lower than October 2020 and 57% lower than October 2019. The…

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FCA proposes ban on debt packager referral fees

17th November 2021 Arrears and Recoveries | #regulation

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed banning debt packager firms from being paid to refer customers to other firms. Debt packagers are regulated providers of debt advice, who refer customers to other providers of debt solutions. They rely on income from referral fees paid by these other firms. These fees can be many times…

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