UK energy regulator fined for misleading clients

London - Britain's energy regulator has found RWE npower guilty of giving inaccurate information to customers between 2010 and 2012, and as a penalty the company has agreed to pay a total of £3.5m to vulnerable clients.

The utility gave customers insufficient information about their energy usage when they were trying to switch to a different supplier and handed inaccurate details to customers about their direct debit payments, regulator Ofgem said in a statement.

"The investigation dates from 2010 to 2012 and all the issues Ofgem identified have since been resolved," RWE npower said in a statement.

The utility will pay each customer receiving government support under a programme known as the Warm Home Discount at least £25.

Ofgem monitors marketing practices of the country's energy suppliers and has the power to impose fines on companies found to be breaching licence terms.