Ofgem's Consumer Outcomes: what energy collections teams need to know

Ofgem has decided. The Consumer Outcomes Strategic Direction, published in June 2026, confirms that energy suppliers will be regulated on outcomes rather than processes, with seven Consumer Outcomes modelled in part on the FCA's Consumer Duty. Implementation has already started, with billing rules first in the queue.

For collections teams, the headline is Outcome 3: customers struggling to pay should receive flexible payment options and proactive, tailored interventions. Ofgem's supporting explanation is blunt about why. Poor practice at the early stage of payment difficulty increases financial stress and raises the risk of self-disconnection, while early identification and intervention prevents debt building up in the first place. With household energy debt at a record £4.79 billion and nearly three quarters of it sitting with customers who have no repayment plan at all, the case for acting earlier is not hard to make.

The harder question is evidence. Under outcomes-based regulation, the preparation question for each outcome is not “do we do this?” but “can we prove it?”. An outcome you cannot evidence, account by account, is an outcome you did not deliver.

Our full guide, Preparing for Ofgem's Consumer Outcomes, covers what has been decided, what the outcomes say about debt, the flashpoints to watch including the Debt Relief Scheme, and a practical readiness review for collections leaders. If early intervention is the gap, our pre-arrears strategy guide is the natural companion.