Building Customer Trust

The Building Customer Trust project

This guide showcases practices that build customer trust, benefiting customers and retailers1
alike. These practices, and the principles that underpin them, represent high standards that industry can aspire to. Derived directly from on-the-ground retailer experience, they are also realistic and achievable. The guide is the culmination of a unique collaboration between consumer groups and industry, initiated in 2015 by the Consumer Policy Research Centre (formerly the Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre). We have always looked at energy and water through the prism of essential services, so ensuring fair access and treatment for vulnerable consumers has long been a focus of our work. While our past efforts typically focused on advocating for change, it was also clear that many retailers were already doing good work in this area. With this project, therefore, we decided to take a new approach, working with retailers to investigate and document existing practices that were working well. By highlighting and sharing these examples, we aim to encourage their wider adoption, guiding and lifting practice across the energy and water sectors.