Which? is creating a revolution – and it appears to be working. More than 75,000 consumers who are all sick of the rising gas and electricity bills hitting them in the UK, are fighting back with their collective consumer power. Which? has created a “Big Switch” campaign that wants to harness the power of the people to cut bills and wake up the market.
Creating Consumer Power
Which? is hoping to follow in the footsteps of the Netherlands, which used the power of the people to change energy prices, and Australia, which used similar tools to help with mortgages. Which? said that consumers could save money by switching their energy bills to a cheaper deal or a cheaper company. 60% of consumers don’t do so, they report, because switching is a confusing process with so many tariffs from which to select.
Their Simple Plan
The plan is quite simple. Which? is asking people to sign up for its campaign, run by executive director Richard Lloyd. At the end of March Which? then plans to invite all energy companies to submit their proposals and to participate in a reverse auction. The winning deal will then be offered to all consumers who signed up with Which? and Which? will handle all of the switching process issues.
As Lloyd explained,
“People are angry with the energy companies. This is our way of helping them fight back.”