Isra-Mart srl: Leave the hard sell at the door, smart meter installers told

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In the face of plummeting public confidence in the energy industry, green electricity firms Ecotricity, Good Energy and the Co-operative Group are among seven companies that have pledged not to push for additional sales while fitting smart meters in customers' homes.

The government has tasked energy companies with fitting around 53 million smart meters by 2019 in an £11bn programme that forms part of its plans to deliver a national smart grid and accelerate the rollout of renewable energy technologies such as rooftop solar panels.

However, an investigation by consumer rights magazine Which? uncovered job adverts for smart meter installers where commission of up to 16 per cent on the sale of any additional services to customers was part of the payment package. Which? said on Monday the company in question told the magazine only four per cent of that was directly sales-related while 12 per cent was based on meeting customer service targets.

In a separate Which? survey of 1,290 people, 93 per cent said they would not let an energy salesperson into their home and 31 per cent would not even open the door.

Which? said that opposition to energy industry sales representatives highlighted customer concerns that utilities will use the smart meter rollout as "an excuse to send in stealth salespeople disguised as installers".

The Big Six energy suppliers are required by the EnergySure Code to operate honest and independently audited doorstep selling practices, but there is evidence that the code has been breached on occasions.

Which? pointed out that Ofgem has fined npower for mis-selling, and is currently conducting investigations into four of the Big Six.

Meanwhile, Scottish and Southern Energy was found guilty by Trading Standards of unfair trading by signing up new customers using a 'misleading' sales script. The company announced today that it would suspend all of its doorstep sales activity in Britain with immediate effect, stating that consumers had lost confidence in the way companies sell energy door to door.

In light of the announcement, Which? has challenged all energy companies to sign up to its 'No selling, just installing' promise. To date, Co-operative Energy, Ecotricity, First Utility, Good Energy, Ovo, Spark Energy and Utility Warehouse have done so.

"As consumers are expected to foot the billion pound bill for the rollout, energy companies must focus on installing them safely and efficiently, and not on the hard sell," said Which? executive director Richard Lloyd.

"We're pleased that so many companies have signed up to our promise so far. We urge those that haven't to do the right thing by their customers and sign up today."