By Ed Ballard
LONDON-- Energy supplier ScottishPower will face a sales
suspension if it doesn't improve its customer service, U.K.
regulators have warned.
Ofgem, the energy regulator, said Friday it has opened an
investigation into the company, a division of Spain's Iberdrola
S.A. (IBE.MC). It said ScottishPower has agreed to meet targets for
speeding up its customer response times, reducing the number of
late bills, and clearing a backlog of complaints.
If it misses the targets "its proactive sales activities will
instantly be suspended," Ofgem said.
In March, Ofgem asked U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority
to investigate the energy sector amid heated criticism of rising
domestic fuel bills.
"ScottishPower's customers are experiencing unacceptably long
call-waiting times and a drastic drop in overall customer
satisfaction," said Sarah Harrison, senior partner in charge of
enforcement at Ofgem.
"The need for our intervention here is yet more evidence that
the energy market is not working for consumers," she added.
Write to Ed Ballard at ed.ballard@wsj.com
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