Complaints Policy

Definitions

1.1 In this Complaints Policy the following expressions have the following meanings:

“Appeal” means your request to escalate a Complaint from Level One to Level Two if you are not satisfied with the outcome at Level One;

“Appeal Handler” means an employee of Energy Made Simple Limited working at Compliance Manager who will handle Level Two Complaints;

“Business Day” means, any day (other than Saturday or Sunday) on which ordinary banks are open for their full range of normal business in Unit 2 – 4 Protection House, Albion Road, North Shields, Tyne & Wear, England, NE30 2RH;

“Complaint” means a complaint about services sold by Energy Made Simple Limited, about our customer service, or about our employees;

“Complaint Handler” means an employee of Energy Made Simple Limited working at Compliance Manager who will handle Level One Complaints;

“Complaints Policy” means this document;

“Complaints Procedure” means the internal complaints handling procedure of Energy Made Simple Limited which is followed when handling a Complaint and is available from Unit 2 – 4 Protection House, Albion Road, North Shields, Tyne & Wear, England, NE30 2RH for your reference;

“Complaint Reference” means a unique code assigned to your Complaint that will be used to track your Complaint;
“Level One” means the first stage in our complaints handling procedure under which your Complaint will be handled by a Complaint Handler; and

“Level Two” means the second stage in our complaints handling procedure under which you may appeal the outcome of a Level One Complaint. Your Complaint will be handled by an Appeal Handler.

Purpose of this Complaints Policy

2.1 Energy Made Simple Limited welcomes and encourages feedback of all kinds from our customers. We are proud of our service and it’s important to us that when things go wrong we are able to fix the issue as quickly as possible. Our complaints process is there to give you comfort that we take the issue seriously and we will give your complaint our full attention and keep you up to date with progress. It’s important to us that we resolve the issue for you as quickly as possible. If you have a Complaint about our services, our customer service, or about our employees, not only do we want to resolve it to your satisfaction but we also want to learn from it in order to improve our business and customer experience in the future.

2.2 It is our policy to resolve Complaints quickly and fairly, where possible without recourse to formal investigations or external bodies. In particular, the aims of this Complaints Policy are:

2.2.1 to provide a clear and fair procedure for any customers who wish to make a Complaint about Energy Made Simple Limited, our services, our customer service, or about our employees;

2.2.2 to ensure that everyone working for or with Energy Made Simple Limited knows how to handle Complaints made by our customers;

2.2.3 to ensure that all Complaints are handled equally and in a fair and timely fashion;

2.2.4 to ensure that important information is gathered from Complaints and used in the future to avoid such a situation arising again.

What this Complaints Policy Covers

3.1 This Complaints Policy applies to the provision of services by Energy Made Simple Limited, to our customer service and to our employees.

3.2 For the purposes of this Complaints Policy, any reference to Energy Made Simple Limited also includes our employees.

3.3 Complaints may relate to any of our activities and may include (but not be limited to):

3.3.1 the quality of customer service you have received from Energy Made Simple Limited;

3.3.2 the behaviour and/or professional competence of our employees;

3.3.3 the processing of energy contracts

3.3.4 the tendering of energy contract and the suitability of the contracts agreed by you.
3.4 The following are not considered to be Complaints and should therefore be directed to the appropriate person:
3.4.1 general questions about our services;
3.4.2 matters concerning contractual or other legal disputes;
3.4.3 formal requests for the disclosure of information, for example, under applicable legislation;
3.4.4 The disclosure of commission in relation to a signed Commission Disclosure document.

Making a Complaint

4.1 All Complaints, whether they concern our services, our customer service, or our employees, should be made in one of the following ways:
4.1.1 in writing, addressed to the Compliance Manage, Unit 2 – 4 Protection House, Albion Road, North Shields, Tyne & Wear, England, NE30 2RH
4.1.2 by email, addressed Compliance Manager, Unit 2 – 4 Protection House, Albion Road, North Shields, Tyne & Wear, England, NE30 2RH, email address: admin@energymadesimple.co.uk
4.1.3 Full details of our complaints policy can be found on our website: www.energymadesimple.co.uk, which will explain how a complaint can be raised.
4.2 When making a Complaint, you will be required to provide the following information in as much detail as is reasonably possible:
4.2.1 your name, address, telephone number and email address (We will contact you using your preferred contact method as your Complaint is handled);
4.2.2 if you are making a Complaint on behalf of someone else, that person’s name and contact details as well as your own; we also require confirmation and evidence you are acting with authority of the subject here or elsewhere.
4.2.3 If you are making a Complaint about a particular transaction, the contract, start date, end date and meter number in question
4.2.4 if you are making a Complaint about a particular employee of ours, the name and, where appropriate, position of that employee;
4.2.5 further details of your Complaint including, as appropriate, all times, dates, events, and people involved;
4.2.6 details of any documents or other evidence you wish to rely on in support of your Complaint;
4.2.7 please note that whilst we will make every reasonable effort to accommodate such requests, we are not obligated to do anything beyond what we are contractually or legally required to do’

4.2.8 We treat all complaints raised by clients, or those that we have dealt with in relation to our energy contracts, fair, impartially, respectfully and with the upmost courtesy.

How We Handle Your Complaint

5.1 Energy Made Simple Limited operates a two-stage complaints handling procedure. Following our Complaints Procedure, our aim is to always resolve Complaints to your satisfaction at Level One without further recourse to Level Two. If you are not satisfied at the end of Level One, you may escalate your Complaint to Level Two.

5.2 Level One:

5.2.1 Upon receipt of your Complaint, the Compliance Manager identified above in Section 4.1 will log the Complaint in our internal complaints system by raising the appropriate case and will acknowledge receipt of it in writing within 5 business working day, giving you a Complaint Reference. This will be provided as a ‘Case Number’, which you should retain for ease of identification. We will confirm to you the date the Case Number was created in our system, which will form the basis of the date of the complaint. The system we have provides an alert to meet all required timeframes set by us as a company.

5.2.2 When we acknowledge receipt of your complaint, we will also provide details of your Complaint Handler. This may be the Compliance Manager to whom your original Complaint was directed (as above) or your Complaint may be assigned to another appropriate member of our team. You will be notified of who is dealing with your complaint from the start of your complaint. If there is a change to your Complaint Handler, you will be notified of the new appointed person/s.

5.2.3 If your Complaint relates to a specific employee, that person will be informed of your Complaint and given a fair and reasonable opportunity to respond. Any communication between you and the employee in question should take place only via the Complaint Handler and we respectfully ask that you do not contact the employee in question directly concerning the Complaint while we are working to resolve it.

5.2.4 Once the Complaint Handler has been appointed, we will investigate all matters surrounding the complaint. This can include, and is not limited to, checking correspondence, telephone calls, contractual acceptances, documentation and policies and procedures.

5.2.5 If we require any further information or evidence from you, the Complaint Handler will contact you as quickly as is reasonably possible to ask for it. We ask that you use reasonable efforts to supply any such information or evidence quickly in order to avoid delaying the complaints handling process. If you are for any reason unable to provide such information or evidence we will use all reasonable efforts to proceed without it, however please be aware that we will not ask for further information or evidence unless we consider it important to the successful resolution of your Complaint.

5.2.6 We aim to resolve Level One Complaints within 7 business days, however in some cases, particularly if your Complaint is of a complex nature, this may not be possible. If this is not possible for any reason you will be informed of the delay, the likely length of the delay and the reasons for it.

5.2.7 At the conclusion of the Level One complaints procedure, regardless of the outcome, we will provide you with full details of our investigation, our conclusions from that investigation, and any action taken as a result. You will also be reminded of your right to appeal our decision and escalate the complaint to Level Two in the form of an Appeal.

5.3 Level Two:

5.3.1 If you are not satisfied with the resolution of your complaint at Level One, you may appeal the decision within 3 working days, and have the complaint escalated to Level Two. Appeals are handled by Director level members of our team.

5.3.2 Appeals, quoting your original Complaint Reference, should be directed to your original Complaint Handler who will forward the request to an appropriate Appeal Handler. Receipt of Appeals will be acknowledged in writing within 5 working days. When we acknowledge receipt of your Appeal we will also provide details of your Appeal Handler. The system we have provides an alert to meet all required timeframes set by us as a company.

5.3.3 If your Complaint relates to a specific employee , that person will be informed of your Appeal and given a further opportunity to respond. Any communication between you and the employee in question should take place only via the Appeal Handler and we respectfully ask that you do not contact the employee in question directly concerning the Complaint while we are working to resolve it.

5.3.4 Once the Complaint Handler has been appointed, we will investigate all matters surrounding the complaint. This can include, and is not limited to, checking correspondence, telephone calls, contractual acceptances, documentation and policies and procedures.

5.3.5 If we require any further information or evidence from you, the Appeal Handler will contact you as quickly as is reasonably possible to ask for it. We ask that you use reasonable efforts to supply any such information or evidence to us quickly in order to avoid delaying the complaints handling process. If you are for any reason unable to provide such information or evidence we will use all reasonable efforts to proceed without it, please be aware that we will not ask for further information or evidence unless we consider it important to the successful resolution of your Complaint.

5.3.6 We aim to resolve Level Two Complaints within 7 business days, however in some cases, particularly if your Complaint is of a complex nature, this may not be possible. If this is not possible for any reason you will be informed of the delay, the likely length of the delay and the reasons for it.

5.3.7 At the conclusion of the Level Two procedure, regardless of the outcome, we will provide you with details of our investigation, our conclusions from that investigation, and any action taken as a result. Our decision at this stage is final, subject to your right to seek External Resolution of your Complaint.

5.4 External Resolution:

5.4.1 If you are not satisfied with the resolution of your Complaint at Level Two and wish to show an expression of dissatisfaction and escalate the complaint, or, if we do not acknowledge the complaint of a micro-business customer, a dispute should be raised with the Ombudsman Services. you may seek External Resolution of your Complaint from Ombudsman Services. The escalation is free and without charge and impartial. In instances where a complaint has been raised and not resolved within 8 weeks, the Ombudsman Services should be consulted, and a complaint raised. For details of complaint and conflict resolution mechanisms available from Ombudsman Services please contact them by post at [Ombudsman Services: Energy, P.O. Box 966, Warrington, WA4 9DF], by telephone on [0330 440 1624], by email at enquiry@ombudsman-services.org], or via their website at www.ombudsman-services.org.

5.5 Methods of resolution

The methods of resolution vary depending on the outcome of the complaint. Methods of resolution include a formal apology, the providing of documents that may be required, compensation, a practical action to correct the problem, a goodwill gesture, acting to resolve issues on behalf of the complainant, changing the account manager who the complainant was dealing with or any other method resolution deemed fit for purposes. This will be looked at on a case by case basis.

As an Energy Broker we have to accept dispute resolutions proposed by Ombudsman Services, but you as a customer can choose to reject them.
If you require independent advice, you can contact Citizen Advice on England and Wales: 0808 223 1133 or Scotland: 0808 196 8660

Confidentiality and Data Protection

6.1 All Complaints and information relating thereto are treated with the utmost confidence. Such information will only be shared with those employees of Energy Made Simple Limited who need to know in order to handle your Complaint.

6.2 We may ask for your permission to use details of your Complaint (with your personal details removed) for internal training and quality improvement purposes. If you have given such permission, you may revoke it at any time by contacting [insert name and/or position], whose details are provided above in section 4.1.

6.3 All personal information that we may collect (including, but not limited to, your name and address) will be collected, used and held in accordance with the provisions of UK data protection law (including but not limited to the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003) and your rights thereunder, as set out in our Privacy Notice available from Unit 2 – 4 Protection House, Albion Road, North Shields, Tyne & Wear, England, NE30 2RH,

6.4 We retain copies of all completed and provide notes of the initial complaint, discussions, and resolutions. This information is available should a complaint ever be revisited or reopened.

Questions and Further Information

If you have any questions or require further information about any aspect of this Complaints Policy or about our Complaints Procedure, please contact Compliance Manager by post at Unit 2 – 4 Protection House, Albion Road, North Shields, Tyne & Wear, England, NE30 2RH, by telephone on 01913897312, or by email at admin@energymadesimple.co.uk.

A copy of our complaints policy is available for free by either email or post upon request.

All complaints will be looked at independently on a case by case basis. All existing and potential clients going through the complaints process will be treat fairly and with the upmost respect and courtesy.

Our Commitment To Improvement

Energy Made Simple are a company continually striving to improve and develop, both as a business and for the benefit of our clients. We are fully dedicated to improving our complaints and compliance processes and we are adhering to an improved way of working through the Ombudsman Services. We welcome any feedback on our complaints policy and procedure for clients who feel we could improve on this. Please contact admin@energymadesimple.co.uk for any recommendations on what we can do better.

9 Policy Responsibility and Review

Overall responsibility for this Complaints Policy within Energy Made Simple Limited and the implementation thereof lies with Compliance Manager, telephone on 01913897312, or by email at admin@energymadesimple.co.uk
9.1 This Complaints Policy is regularly reviewed and updated as required.
9.2 This Complaints Policy was adopted on 16/01/2022
9.3 This Complaints Policy was last reviewed on 16/08/2022