ASA Turns Off The Gas

In its monthly report for September, the Advertising Standards Authority has stated that gas suppliers may be contravening industry standards in the rush to get new customers. The utilities sector has opened up to competition and with the greater choice has come misleading advertising which has led to a flood of complaints to the ASA. In response, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has agreed on a new help note with gas and electricity suppliers.

Advertisers are directed to avoid:

• Exaggerating the availability or extent of benefits likely to be, obtained for example, by not stating clearly that Duel Fuel savings are open only to customers who buy both gas and electricity from one supplier.
• Skewing comparisons by listing their cheapest tariff against their competitor’s most expensive one.
• Misleading prospective customers by calculating prices using the lowest possible rate of VAT instead of the standard.

The ASA also upheld a complaint against an RSPCA ad campaign aimed at banning hunting. One ad featured a fox with severe abdominal injuries, and the caption: “Whatever you think about foxes, you have to admire their guts.” The animal group received complaints from the Country Alliance, who challenged the claim in the advert that foxes usually die from disembowelment in a hunt. The ASA ruled that this was not the usual cause of death and upheld the complaint.

Complaints were also recently upheld against the CRE and Talk Radio by the ASA (see Newsline), both bodies are now having any future a campaigns pre-vetted by the CAP.

Advertising Standards Authority: 0171 580 5555