18 January 2012 07:10
E.ON announces independent Customer Council as part of the Reset Review: Allan Leighton, Justine Roberts and former MP and Select Committee Chair, Paddy Tipping to join

E.ON has today announced the members of its independent Customer Council that will play a key role in ensuring that issues identified and changes considered during the company's Reset Review will truly meet the needs of customers.

An industry first, the Reset Review which was announced in November, is a process that will examine every aspect of E.ON's relationship with its customers. It will look at tariffs and bills, at how customers pay, at how products are sold, and how support is offered to customers.

The independent Customer Council which will ensure E.ON is engaging with its customers, consumer advocacy groups and other parties who could provide insight as well as giving a reality check to and challenging the proposed reforms, will comprise:

• Allan Leighton known internationally for his business career which includes roles as CEO of Asda, non-Executive Chairman of Royal Mail;
• Justine Roberts founder and Chief Executive of influential website Mumsnet;
• Paddy Tipping the former Labour MP and Chair of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee, who is known for his campaigning work on many issues affecting some of society's most vulnerable.

Commenting on the formation of the independent Customer Council, Dr. Tony Cocker, Chief Executive of E.ON UK said:

"The importance of our Reset Review cannot be overstated and I am delighted that our independent Customer Council will be driven forward by three outstanding individuals - Allan, Justine and Paddy.

"Their experience of truly delivering for, and fighting for, people across the UK will be critical in making sure that the areas of our business we are examining are the right areas, the changes we propose will deliver results and that we are working in tandem with consumer advocacy groups and our customers themselves to truly push the reset button on the relationships we have."

Business leader, Allan Leighton, who will Chair the E.ON independent Customer Council, said:

"I'm delighted to be involved as I believe this process offers a real chance to help transform the way E.ON customers relate to the company. As a prime example I'm currently an E.ON customer but often struggle to understand my bill, this needs to change and I'm looking forward to helping achieve that.

"Over the coming months I know we will have the full support of Tony and the whole of E.ON to really push and challenge them to ensure that energy becomes as easy to understand and purchase as any other product."

Also joining the independent Customer Council is Mumsnet founder and Chief Executive, Justine Roberts.

"Energy is a hot topic on the Mumsnet discussion boards and I am looking forward to making sure that I can represent our users' views right at the heart of this process," she said.

"It's clear E.ON is serious about making changes to how it serves its customers and I'm looking forward to helping make sure those changes are for the better."

Paddy Tipping, the former MP for the Sherwood constituency in Nottinghamshire and Chair of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee, commented:

"From my many years serving my constituents I know that few subjects are of more importance to people than their energy bills that is why it is so important that the companies truly meet the needs of their customers. I'm encouraged by the approach adopted by E.ON and playing my part in helping them to help their customers."

Over the coming weeks and months, E.ON will work with the independent Customer Council, directly with its customers and engage with consumer advocacy groups and other interested parties to undertake the Reset Review. As a result, E.ON will put customers back in control of their energy, which will be simply communicated and transparently fair.

Ends.

Notes to editors:

• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating electricity, and retailing power and gas - and is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. E.ON employs around 12,000 people in the UK and more than 79,000 worldwide;
• In the UK, E.ON supplies power and gas to over five million domestic, small and medium-sized enterprise and industrial customers. E.ON also offers innovative energy services and technologies tailored to meet its customers' needs, and is helping customers become energy fit by encouraging them to insulate their homes, moderate their energy usage and even generate their own power;
• E.ON generates electricity from a mixture of fossil and renewable sources. It has world-class gas-, coal- and oil-fired power stations, onshore and offshore wind farms and is a market leader in combined heat and power (CHP).  It is one of the UK's leading green generators with 21 wind farms and the UK's first wave power generator, with another 1,500MW of renewable capacity under development.

For more information contact:

Scott Somerville on 024 7618 3438