Skip to main content

Age UK compromised by deal with E.ON


Three years ago I posted on twitter my concern about the Age UK energy tariff offered by E.ON to their customers.  I was then concerned that a charity representing the interests of older people was being used in a commercial deal by the energy provider.  I had myself signed up to the tariff. What exactly was the relationship? Was it misleading?  Little did I know then that this issue would become headline news today on the front page of The Sun.

Age UK have themselves berated the energy companies for overcharging customers. It seemed odd then that they would entangle themselves with a commercial deal from which they received commission from E.On for each customer signed up to the tariff with the Age UK branding. 

According to The Sun investigation the charity has received £6 million from E.On as a result of this commercial deal.  At best this financial deal compromises the charity's objective to represent the best interests of older people. Worse is that  The Sun investigation discovered that the Age UK tariff was not the best deal for many customers signed up to it, and they lost out as a result.  It is a sorry state of affairs for a charity. 

Many like me would have signed up to the tariff trusting it was the best for them because it carried the approval of Age UK.   This is the breach of trust.  

Finding the best deal is a tricky task at the best of times. It is full of pitfalls. The consumer needs to take account of their energy usage and 'shop around'.  Many pensioners do not do this. We tend to stick with the same provider. Understanding the plethora of tariffs isn't easy. I have never understood how there could be so many different prices for the same electricity delivered through the same cables. The truth is, as with telephone tariffs, it doesn't pay to stay with the same provider. Loyalty carries no weight in pricing. 

Age UK have issued a robust response to The Sun investigation. “We strongly reject the allegations and interpretation of figures in this article. Energy prices change all the time and we have always advised older people to look out for new good deals and we will continue to do so.”

It is an odd response.  They are right to point out that 'energy prices change all the time'.  They are right to advise us to 'look out for new good deals'.  But this is all the more reason why they should not themselves tie their charity brand to one of those deals. It implies it is better than others for most older people. It suggests they have approved it when they haven't. It is deceptive.  It compromises their charitable status.  They should stick to representing the interests of older people and not burn their fingers in dodgy commercial  deals with energy companies. 

Please sign the petition on change.com calling of E.On to reimburse customers out of pocket. 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Prioritising people in nursing care.

There has been in recent years concern that care in the NHS has not been sufficiently 'patient centred', or responsive to the needs of the patient on a case basis. It has been felt in care that it as been the patient who has had to adapt to the regime of care, rather than the other way around. Putting patients at the centre of care means being responsive to their needs and supporting them through the process of health care delivery.  Patients should not become identikit sausages in a production line. The nurses body, the Nursing and Midwifery Council has responded to this challenge with a revised code of practice reflection get changes in health and social care since the previous code was published in 2008. The Code describes the professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives. Four themes describe what nurses and midwives are expected to do: prioritise people practise effectively preserve safety, and promote professionalism and trust. The

The internet trails of Ants

Ants share, and they are built to do just that.  They walk and talk to cooperate in all they do.  Ants have two stomachs, with the second one set aside for storing food to be shared with other ants.  Ants get pretty intimate when meeting each other.  The ants kiss, but this kiss isn't any ordinary kind of kiss. Instead, they regurgitate food and exchange it with one another.  By sharing saliva and food,  ants communicate.  Each ant colony has a unique smell, so members recognize each other and sniff out intruders. In addition, all ants can produce pheromones, which are scent chemicals used for communication and to make trails. Ants are problem solvers.  We may recall the problems puzzles we were given as children. We look to see if the pieces will fit.  Jiz saw puzzles are much the same but with many contextual factors. First, the picture tells a story. Then, once we know what the image might be, it becomes easier to see which pieces to look for.  Ants lay down trails. Just as we f

The Thin End account of COVID Lockdown