Energy auto-switch customers are not always getting the best deals

As a result, some customers are paying £70 a year more than if they switched themselves, the report found.

The report also found that some auto-switchers were providing inaccurate or unclear information, for example some were listing energy firms who have gone out of business.

Citizens Advice said it believes the problem is that third party intermediaries in the energy market, such as auto-switchers and price comparison websites, are not currently regulated.

The current lack of regulation of third-party intermediaries means that consumers can face problems that are difficult to resolve, such as auto-switchers failing to cancel a switch, leaving customers facing exit fees. Some bill-splitting companies fail to pass on communications from suppliers, leaving customers in unexpected debt.

Dame Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “The lack of regulation leaves people facing potentially serious problems and a lengthy and difficult path to resolving them.

“The government has an opportunity in the upcoming energy white paper to fix current problems and make sure the right consumer protections are in place.”

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