6th February 2023 - Held via Meet
|
Sioned Williams (SW) |
Member of the Senedd |
|
Luke Young (LY) |
Citizens Advice Cymru |
|
Tim Mouncer (TM) |
WHICH? |
|
Sophie Beesley (SB) |
WHICH? |
|
Maggie Kinsey (MK) |
Trading Standards Wales |
|
Sian Phipps (SP) |
Communications Consumer Panel |
|
David Beer (DB) |
Transport Focus |
|
Jessica Tye (JT) |
Advertising Standards Authority |
|
Rhodri Williams (RW) |
Consumer Council for Water |
|
Lia Moutseloun(LM) |
Consumer Council for Water |
|
Amy Dutton (AD) |
Citizens Advice Cymru |
|
Lindsey Kearton (LK) |
Citizens Advice Cymru |
|
Alun Evans (AE) |
Citizens Advice Cymru |
Presentation from WHICH?
A discussion followed which focussed on a need for better engagement by suppliers and governments/regulators to help individuals and consumers better identify support that is available to them and how to access that support and information.
There was a further discussion introduced by LM on how we can better share and overlay data held on consumers in Wales to be more preventative in our actions to support consumers and households.
LY discussed the most recent data dashboard from Citizens Advice Cymru
English language link: bit.ly/CoLinreview2022
Welsh language link: bit.ly/cipolwgar2022
Discussion of the presentation from LY reflected on an established picture of need and detriment for consumers across Wales that will likely continue into the near future. Specific points around the value of meters as a product for managing utility supply is being lost in the way that current suppliers manage them. LM pointed out that for low usage households water meters were often a cheaper option than a non metered charge.
RW introduced the work that Consumer Council for Water is calling for around single social tariffs and how with the seeming reluctance from DEFRA to continue to commit to this there could be a loss of a potential extra £1.5million pound to water consumers in Wales.
Next steps -
The group to consider a question to Welsh Government on what work is being done to promote social tariffs for consumers in Wales including conversations with companies and government information and engagement routes
Consider what work the group could do to raise the recommendations from the WHICH? findings on supermarket pricing - consider the group raising this with the ESJ committee and presenting the research findings to cabinet sub committee on Cost of Living.