Notts energy firm banned from taking on new customers

A Nottinghamshire energy firm has been banned from signing up new customers until it starts to clear a backlog of complaints.

Iresa, based in Beeston, has been the subject of numerous complaints such as 40-minute waits when answering calls and concerns around vulnerable customers. This is the second time it has received a ban.

Now, Ofgem says it must clean up its act before taking on new clients.

If Iresa fails to take these steps within the next three months, Ofgem could take further action which could include, ultimately, revoking the supplier’s licence.

Dermot Nolan, chief executive of Ofgem, said: “This order sends out a very clear message to suppliers that where they fail their customers on service, Ofgem will step in and take strong action.

“It’s crucial that all suppliers provide customers with good service, including acting quickly and effectively to sort things out wherever problems occur.

“Iresa now needs to act quickly and put its house in order otherwise ultimately its licence could be revoked.”

Iresa told the BBC: “”We are confident that our customers will see a noticeable improvement in our customer service response times and we apologise to customers who we have let down in the past.

“We are committed to improving our quality of service to deliver a much better customer experience.”