Consumer First Panel for Ofgem - Wave 4

In 2007, Ofgem launched its Consumer First initiative to ensure that it properly understands a broad range of consumer perspectives when making policy decisions. As part of Consumer First, it commissions primary research/engagement with consumers, interrogates and learns from research conducted by other organisations and looks to measure the impact of its activities on all consumers. The Consumer First Panel has been a flagship project within the Consumer First initiative for the last four years. It consists of a Panel of around 100 domestic consumers who meet a number of times over the course of a year to discuss and feed in to key policy issues. The fourth year of the Panel, run by Ipsos on behalf of Ofgem, focused primarily on the Retail Market Review (RMR), to ensure that the retail energy market is simpler, clearer and, fairer for all consumers. Ofgem’s Consumer First research and RMR proposals can be found on its website. Consumer views on Tariff Comparison Rates: findings from the Ofgem Consumer First Panel workshops The focus of this round of deliberative workshops was to understand consumer responses to options for the possible introduction of a Tariff Comparison Rate (TCR). The key finding was that most participants came to appreciate that there was mileage in the TCR concept. More importantly, if it was explained clearly, participants felt that it held the potential to make tariff comparisons easier. However, many pointed out that their interest in and usage of TCRs would likely be very dependent on clear and sustained communications campaigns, both from suppliers and from an independent body such as Ofgem. They also called for the TCR name and acronym to be changed to be clearer and more engaging to a broad range of consumers. Download Panel 4 report Consumer First Panel Year 5 In November 2012, Ofgem commissioned Ipsos to run the fifth year of the Consumer First Panel. As per previous years, Panel membership is renewed and workshops are held in new locations in order to ensure views reflect those of domestic energy consumers from across Great Britain. The Panel will commence in January 2013 and involve a minimum three waves of workshops. Technical note A deliberative method was considered the optimal approach to allow participants to explore energy-related issues. It is particularly useful when participants are unfamiliar with a topic, in this case the detail of how the energy market operates. As a result, some of the workshop time was dedicated to informing consumers about a wide range of energy issues and discussing how these might change in the future. These discussions allowed Panellists to give their top of mind views, before having a more informed discussion around different propositions.