Ofcom opens investigation into Shell Energy's telecoms division

UK comms regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into Shell Energy, with regard to rules around end-of-contract and annual ‘best tariff’ notifications to broadband and landline customers.

Ofcom introduced new rules in 2020 which stated that broadband, mobile, home phone and pay-TV companies have to warn their customers when their minimum contract period is coming to an end, and how much they could save by signing up to a new deal, as well as remind any customers who remain out of contract about their best deals every year.

Apparently Ofcom has information that indicates Shell Energy didn’t send these notifications to some customers for an undisclosed period of time beginning February 2021, and some communications ‘may not have contained all of the required information.’

The report stated: “We aim to complete our evidence gathering phase by the end of Summer 2022. We will publish a further update on any next steps once that phase is complete.”

It’s not been a good news week for Shell Energy in the telecoms space. Earlier this week Ofcom announced it had generated the most amount of complaints of all the major broadband providers, mainly due by faults and service issues. It also topped the list of most complained about landline providers, alongside TalkTalk.

Shell Energy emerged as a broadband provider in 2018 after it bought First Utility and rebranded it, and then beefed itself up considerably last year by buying the Post Offices’ broadband business and taking on an additional 450,000 customers. While we don’t know the results of the investigation yet, if the survey results from earlier in the week alone are anything to go by, it seems like a year on from it big acquisition there are still some operational teething troubles.

Get the latest news straight to your inbox. Register for the Telecoms.com newsletter here.