Npower, one of the "big six" energy companies, has agreed to pay a £3.5m penalty for breaching sales rules, said regulator Ofgem.

The money will go towards helping "vulnerable consumers", Ofgem said. It imposed the penalty after finding that Npower had breached rules governing how energy deals can be sold on the doorstep and over the phone. Npower "has remedied all the issues raised", Ofgem said, and will direct the money towards poorer customers. Weaknesses in Npower's sales processes meant customers could not compare offers from rival suppliers fairly, Ofgem found. The breaches of these "tougher 2009 marketing rules ceased by September 2012".....Read more here