Dog’s dinner of an energy market in need of major surgery amid string of scandals

Dismal customer service, the forced installation of prepayment meters... This is an industry that can’t seem to shake scandal, writes James Moore

The energy supply market is broken as scandals engulf the industry (PA)

Remember when the banks were seen by business as public enemy number one? After the financial crisis, when they nearly burnt the economy to the ground? Well, it seems they’re off the hook. The energy industry has taken their place. And how.

Last week’s revelations in The Times, which found that British Gas had routinely sent debt collectors with warrants to break into customers’ homes and force-fit pay-as-you-go meters regardless of their vulnerability, were frankly apalling.

Ofgem, the industry regulator, launched an immediate investigation and warned off the rest of the industry. The sheer awfulness of what was reported meant that another of its releases, this time on the subject of the industry’s dismal customer service, was pushed into the background.