OFGEN turns up the heat

Posted on December 21, 2015 by Jeremy Barnett

In a blistering decision against NPower, the energy regulator OFGEM yesterday announced a fine of £26m for wholesale failures in customer service. In addition, the regulator has threatened to ban the company from advertising or signing up new customers if it failes to pull up its socks in customer service. 

With less of a fanfare, the regulator also announced a settlement in the case against BES Commercial Electricity Ltd and Business Energy Solutions Ltd (together referred to as “BES”)  who had failed to comply with the requirements of their gas and electricity supply licences and also the Consumer Complaints Handling Standards) Regulations 2008 (the CHSRs). BES had earlier agreed to a settlement of £980,000.



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CMC fined √Ǭ£850k for ‘nuisance calls’

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Jeremy Barnett

The Claims Managament Regulator, part of the MOJ, today announced a record fine of £850,000 in respect of The National Advice Clinic, based in Lancashire, which also trades as the Industrial Hearing Clinic or the Central Compensation Office, who made nearly 6 million calls between October 2014 and April 2015 about noise induced hearing loss claims.√جª¬ø

The fines were imposed following representations made by Jeremy Barnett, instructed by Andrew Swan, Head of Regulation and Financial Crime at Short Richardson & Forth LLP, Newcastle. The Company are considering whether or not to appeal to the fines to the First Tier Tribuanal.

The fines follow the introduction of new powers which were set out in blog article 25th September 2015.

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Blockchain Links to Cybercrime have been Overplayed

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Jeremy Barnett

Jeremy Barnett is one of a number of contributors to a recent article where a number of Legal experts have dismissed claims that crypto-currencies and blockchains coupled with reliance on “creaking technology systems” are enabling cybercrime within the banking industry.

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