Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) uses research and evidence to put consumers at the heart of policy and regulation in the energy, post and water sectors in Scotland. We work with government, regulators and business to put consumers first, designing policy and practice around their needs and aspirations.
We welcome Ofgem’s investigation into self-disconnection and self-rationing. Our evidence suggests that self-disconnection and fuel-rationing is happening with relatively common frequency across Scotland and we strongly believe that further investigation is warranted.
In this response we predominantly provide anecdotal evidence on the types of issues faced by clients in Scotland who are self-disconnecting or self-rationing. The majority of cases that we highlight here refer to clients who have self-disconnected or are self-rationing due to affordability issues.
As can be seen in the cases, issues clients present with are often complex and multifaceted. Clients may be self-disconnecting due to issues with the social security system, having multiple debts and generally low incomes.