Citizens Advice response to the call for evidence on smarter regulation and the regulatory landscape
This call for evidence by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) looks at the regulatory landscape in the UK, what works well and what can be improved.
Citizens Advice has responded in its capacity as the statutory advocate for postal consumers in England and Wales, as well as our general consumer advocacy role. We also draw on examples and experience from our role as the statutory advocate for energy consumers in Great Britain.
Citizens Advice believes regulation must better integrate the consumer voice and ensure markets and essential services work for consumers:
Regulators must proactively seek to rebalance the asymmetries between regulated companies and those representing consumer interests
Regulators must better prioritise their duties to protect consumers
There should be statutory consumer advocates in all essential markets
Regulators should implement consumer duties to make it easier for consumers to understand the standards they should expect
Consumer protection gaps in used cars and home improvements must be addressed
Regulators must be more agile to issues that cause consumers harm and detriment
Ambitious reform to the energy appeals regime should address the significant barriers to consumer representation in appeals, the issue of cherry-picking inherent in energy, and appeals being a routine low-risk game.