What is the Confidence Code Accreditation?
Ofgem currently runs the Confidence Code, a voluntary code of practice for domestic energy price comparison websites. Switch Gas & Electric is one of the eleven energy comparison websites accredited to the Ofgem Confidence Code.Any energy comparison websites that bears the Confidence Code logo should be able to do the following:
- Help you find the best energy tariff for your household
- Provide a free and easy-to-use energy comparison and switching service
- Provide you with detailed information on each energy tariff, including gas and electricity unit prices
The Purpose of the Confidence Code
The aim of the Confidence Code is to help consumers feel confident about the advice that they receive when using an accredited energy comparison website to switch energy suppliers.The Principles of the Confidence Code
Ofgem ensures that any energy price comparison website accredited to the Ofgem Confidence Code meets the key principles of how to operate their service.Some of the principles that Ofgem accredited energy comparison websites must follow are outlined below:
Be Independent & Impartial
This means Switch Gas & Electric must be independent of any energy supplier on our platform and must provide impartial advice to customers that are not in favour of or against any particular energy suppliers.Tariffs & Price Comparisons
Ofgem Accredited websites must endeavour to compare all available domestic energy tariffs.After a recommendation made by the Competition and Markets Authority, in July 2018 Ofgem removed the “Whole of Market” requirement from the Confidence Code. Previous to this, energy comparison websites had to default a personal projection to show a “Whole of Market” view, regardless of whether the energy comparison website could arrange a switch to the energy supplier or not.
Now Customers that create a personal projection on Switch Gas & Electric can filter the results page to show all energy tariffs available to them and also tariffs they can switch to through Switch Gas & Electric.
Switch Gas & Electric has contracts with more domestic energy suppliers than any other energy comparison website, so we are confident our customers will find the best energy tariff available to them by using our website.
Quality of Service
Under the Confidence Code, Switch Gas & Electric can assign ratings to a supplier’s performance. We get these ratings by inviting our customers to review the switch to their new energy supplier 6 weeks after they have organised it.When a new customer creates a personal projection, they will be shown a results page based on their information. On this results page, they will see a star rating next to each energy supplier. This rating is what our previous customers have reviewed the energy supplier on the back of their switch. If a supplier has no rating, it is because we don’t have enough data to generate a star rating.
Ofgem review and revise the Confidence Code regularly. Any changes made to it will be published on the Ofgem website and adhered to by Switch Gas & Electric.