'An open letter to the energy select committee on comparison sites' blog discussion

Former_MSE_Paloma

This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's blog. Please read the blog first, as this discussion follows it.

Read Martin's "An open letter to the energy select committee about comparison sites" Blog.

Please click 'post reply' to discuss below.

molerat

If only CEC did show ALL suppliers / tariffs then Martin would have cause to complain - glass houses and all that !!

CEC shows I am currently with Zog for gas but does not show any Zog tariffs available. Other people have mentioned the same problem but CEC have done nothing about it.

Former_MSE_Archna

Hi Molerat

We absolutely do include Zog energy on Cheap Energy Club both if you're an existing Zog customer and in the results as a new provider. If you could get in touch with us so we can try and work out why you're not seeing it on [EMAIL="energyclub@moneysavingexpert.com"]energyclub@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL], that would be great as we'd hate to think anyone wasn't seeing a full results set. Thanks Archna

beansOnToast_3

Good letter, but during the evidence session Peter Plumb from MoneySuperMarket seemed to be speaking on behalf of MSE too.

He mentions the cheap energey club and your fee disclosure a few times. See the evidence session on the parliament.uk website from around 11:36 onwards for a few minutes (I can't post a link as a new user).

So I'm not sure the committee would've (or could've) considered inviting MSE given that MSE is actually part of the MoneySuperMarket Group on whose behalf they believed Peter Plumb was speaking.

molerat

MSE_Archna wrote: »

Hi Molerat

e-mail sent

Former_MSE_Archna

Hi beansontoast,

While part of the same group, MSE is run completely separately to MSM and Martin is a journalist and campaigner so would have a different approach.

canterswest

Which? should have been questioned because it defaulted depending on commission but, unlike the five businesses that appeared, is a charity.

Moneysavingexpert was represented because Peter Plumb of Moneysupermarket.com Group which owns MSE and two other comparison sites gave evidence.

He was not questioned about CEC's top picks which is a device that leads people to more expensive tariffs that MSE earns commission on. Top pick for CEC's first collective switch for pre payment meters was utterly shocking exploitation. I checked for a vulnerable customer who would have been monstrously overcharged taking CEC's top pick compared to Ebico which does not pay CEC commission.

I think I am correct in saying all seven so called top pick collective switch recommendations have not been the cheapest but all have paid CEC commission.

I recommend that the bosses who appeared should all retitle themselves editors in chiefs, introduce editor's top picks, team up their editorial websites with editorial channels and stop paying to advertise. This is how CEC operates and it has an unfair advantage, the other comparison sites have no choice but to fully switch to saying they are journalistic businesses.

canterswest

MSE_Archna wrote: »

Hi beansontoast,

While part of the same group, MSE is run completely separately to MSM and Martin is a journalist and campaigner so would have a different approach.

What MSE/CEC does is not journalism. It publishes marketing communication and its intention is commercial, to make money. Ofcom and the Advertising Standards Authority have both ruled MSE is a marketing communication business, which is what Peter Plumb said also, the group's 3 sites are marketing devices.

Former_MSE_Archna

Our intention is to help people switch and save money. Yes we earn money from it - we are transparent about that.

molerat

Well well, Zog have miraculously appeared on my CEC quote.

Former_MSE_Archna

Hi molerat

Yes, off the back of the email you sent we found a technical glitch that meant zog wasn't appearing for a handful of people. Thank you for flagging that.

It would be really helpful in future if you could drop us an email if you spot any glitches. We do checks ourselves but this was a really niche problem. The best email address is energyclub at moneysavingsavingexpert dot com.

Thanks

Archna