The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) is continuing to target energy retailers misleading customers, this time penalising Simply Energy for allegedly misleading door-to-door sales misconduct.
Trading as Simply Energy, IPower Pty Limited (IPower) has been issued two infringement notices amounting to $20,400.
According to the ACCC, Simply Energy visited two homes in Victoria during 2014 “for the purpose of switching them from their existing supplier.” Simply Energy’s representatives allegedly told consumers there was an ‘urgent problem’ or ‘something wrong’ with their current electricity service, which was simply not the case.
“Consumers have a right to expect that door-to-door sales representatives will not make false or misleading representations, or otherwise engage in unlawful sales tactics,” ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said.
The ACCC said they had grounds to believe that the energy company had misled consumers about the quality of services, in contravention of the Australian Consumer Law, but pointed out that the enforcement action taken does not serve as the company’s admission of Consumer Law contravention.
Earlier this week Origin Energy Limited and two of its subsidiaries were fined $325,000 as part of proceedings brought forward by the ACCC.
