EDF fined £2 million for poor customer service

Energy regulator Ofgem is to fine the UK network subsidiary of French energy giant EDF a whopping £2 million for poor customer service.

According to Ofgem, EDF Energy Networks had failed to offer connections sufficiently quickly to households and businesses in more than 100 cases.

Sarah Harrison, Ofgem's managing director of corporate affairs, stated that "customers should not have to accept poor service in any part of the energy market."

EDF Energy Networks is a monopoly provider of network management services across London and the East of England, including certain connection services. EDF is one of the "big six" energy suppliers in the UK, and a subsidiary of the French giant that bought nculear power firm British Energy last year.

In total, EDF distributes electricity to almost eight million customers in the area.

Like other connections providers, EDF is subject to a back-stop three-month deadline by which the company has to make offers to those seeking connection to the network.

However, despite Ofgem warnings in 2006, EDF Energy Networks failed many times to meet this deadline, and did not implement systems to monitor its performance against the three-month rule.

According to the regulator, the company could have faced an even higher fine, had it not already paid out £450,000 in compensation to affected customers.

Ms Harrison added: "All energy companies should be in no doubt that, if they are failing to offer good customer service, Ofgem will take tough regulatory action. We recognise that EDF Energy has now taken steps to improve its connections service, but they should have taken this action some time ago."