Gas Customers Welcome Door-stepping

A report by MORI for Ofgas, confirms that people who change their gas supplier find doorstep selling useful and informative.

Householders in Phase 2b of gas competition (Kent, East and West Sussex) were asked about customer awareness of gas competition, customers' motivations for switching, supplier service levels and customers' experiences of the switching process.

The report reveals that of those householders who had switched to a new supplier, 83% had been contacted on the doorstep and cited price as the main reason for switching suppliers.

Lower income groups such as those on state benefit, those who pay by budget plan or pre-payment meter and those in rented accomodation are most likely to have been contacted by gas suppliers door-stepping during 1997.

Technical details

MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of 1,015 gas bill payers in the Phase 2b area (Kent, East and West Sussex) between 24 November and 21 December 1997. All interviews were conducted face-to-face in home. Data were weighted to the known profile of gas customers by work status, age and switcher vs non-switchers.