Press Release

Demise of energy champion leaves businesses with nowhere to turn

Friday, July 11 2008

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is warning that the demise of energywatch in October this year will leave small businesses with nowhere to turn for help and advice with energy contracts.

The warning comes as an FSB snap poll of over 1,000 business owners reveals that 57 percent have made complaints to their energy companies and that only half of those complaints are being dealt with satisfactorily.

With over 30,000 calls from small businesses received every year, energywatch has built up a solid reputation for small business representation in the energy market. But from October 1 2008 it will be disbanded.

The FSB is warning that energywatch’s work is unlikely to be covered by Consumer Direct, which will nominally take over energywatch’s responsibilities but has shown little willingness or ability to tackle small business energy issues.

John Holbrow, FSB environment and energy chairman, said, "This survey provides damning evidence that some energy companies are still not treating small businesses properly.

"It is sad to see that the government is disbanding energywatch at the very time when its work on behalf of small business consumers is most needed.

"The government has so far failed to ensure that there is an effective alternative in place. With Consumer Direct seemingly uninterested, come October there will be thousands of small business owners with nowhere to turn for help when their energy companies take them for a ride."

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