Consultation on new Marketing Code of Practice

The Utility Regulator today publishes a consultation on a new Marketing Code of Practice for electricity and gas suppliers in Northern Ireland.

We are consulting on the proposed content of a new mandatory Marketing Code for regulated energy suppliers in Northern Ireland.  Through the Marketing Code, we wish to ensure that energy consumers benefit from protection from mis-selling, and through this consultation process, aim to collect and discuss stakeholder views in relation to the content of the proposed code of practice.

In order to encourage and facilitate full stakeholder engagement in this consultation process, the Utility Regulator will hold a workshop during the consultation period.  Both industry representatives and stakeholders from consumer, community and voluntary organisations will be invited to attend in order to discuss the proposed Marketing Code.  A provisional date of 21 March 2013 has been set for this workshop and details will be available in due course.

We would like to hear what our stakeholders have to say and would encourage responses from stakeholders in the energy industry and consumer, community and voluntary sectors. We ask that comments about the draft code are concise and deal directly with the actual drafting and include paragraph reference numbers and quotations. Generic responses will not be as useful in highlighting the respondent’s views regarding the requirements of the code and should be avoided. Specific points related to specific sections of the code will be more useful.