ACM Study: One in Ten Consumers Switches Energy Contracts Following Telemarketing calls or door-to-door sales

By: Tjitte Mastenbroek (Netherlands ACM)

The ACM’s Consumer Experience Monitor has shown that one in ten consumers who switched energy contracts last year did so following an unsolicited offer made either over the phone or by a door-to-door salesperson. This publication, based on an annual survey conducted by ACM each April, provides insights into consumers’ knowledge, experience, and behavior in the energy market.

The survey found that most consumers who take out new energy contracts do so through the energy supplier’s website (35%), via a comparison website (22%), or through customer service by email, phone, or written correspondence (14%). Specifically, 6% of consumers switched after receiving an offer over the phone, while 4% did so following a door-to-door sales pitch.

In response to misleading telemarketing practices involving energy contracts, ACM has taken multiple actions over the past year. Given the complexity of energy contracts, ACM advises consumers to carefully analyze and compare different rates at their own pace and to avoid agreeing to unsolicited offers received over the phone. For more information and tips, consumers can visit ACM’s consumer information portal, ACM ConsuWijzer…

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