Call for evidence: Energy price comparison websites
18 December 2014
Energy price comparison websites play an important role in helping consumers switch energy supplier by providing comparisons of different energy plans. In recent months concerns have been raised about the way in which these websites operate.
Committee announce call for evidence for one-off evidence session on energy price comparison websites. The time and date of this session will be announced in due course.
Purpose of the session
The evidence session will explore a range of issues, including:
- The role of energy price comparison websites and how they operate
- Transparency of commission received for different energy plans
- Consumer trust in energy price comparison websites
- Arrangements for oversight of these websites, for example through the ‘Confidence Code’, a Code of Practice that governs independent energy price comparison sites.
Deadline
We would welcome submissions of written evidence to help inform this session by 14 January 2015.
Notes on written submissions
Written submissions for this inquiry should be submitted via the inquiry page on the Energy and Climate Change Committee website.
The deadline is Wednesday 14 January 2015. As a guideline submissions should state clearly who the submission is from e.g. ‘Written evidence submitted by xxxxx' and be no longer than 3000 words; please contact the Committee staff if you wish to discuss this. If you need to send hard copy please send it to: The Clerk, Energy and Climate Change Committee, 14 Tothill Street, London, SW1H 9NB.
Submissions must be a self-contained memorandum in Word or Rich Text Format (not PDFs). Paragraphs should be numbered for ease of reference and the document should, if possible, include an executive summary.
Submissions should be original work, not previously published or circulated elsewhere. Once submitted, your submission becomes the property of the Committee and no public use should be made of it unless you have first obtained permission from the Clerk of the Committee. Please bear in mind that Committees are not able to investigate individual cases.
Publishing submissions
The Committee normally, though not always, chooses to publish the written evidence it receives, either by printing the evidence, publishing it on the internet or by making it publicly available through the Parliamentary Archives. If there is any information you believe to be sensitive you should highlight it and explain what harm you believe would result from its disclosure; the Committee will take this into account in deciding whether to publish or further disclose the evidence.
The personal information you supply will be processed in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 for the purposes of attributing the evidence you submit and contacting you as necessary in connection with its processing. The Clerk of the House of Commons is the data controller for the purposes of the Act.