Age UK and energy company Eon are suspending a branded energy tariff aimed at the elderly following a Sun investigation.
The tabloid revealed on its front page last week the Age UK deal sold to pensioners for dual fuel was £245 a year more expensive than the cheapest offers on the market. It said that Age UK was paid £3.6m a year by Eon.
A Sun spokesperson said: "This is a great victory for The Sun and our ongoing work looking at the problems in the energy market. Consumer editor Dan Jones' story uncovering this stitch up between a charity and one of the Big Six suppliers has demonstrated the enduring importance of good investigative journalism.
"We hope this shames other charities who are pushing their supporters towards dodgy deals into coming clean."
Tory MP Dan Poulter, a member of the Commons Energy Select Committee, said: “Thanks to The Sun’s top notch investigative journalism, Eon and Age UK now look like they will do the right thing with this deal. But they need to go further. People would rightly expect Age UK to always make sure they offer the best deal for older people.
"So Age UK should apologise to the thousands of older people who have paid more than they should have and urgently review their entire relationship with Eon.
"And if Eon really cared about older people they would compensate them in full.
"They have behaved disgracefully by targeting older people who they know are less likely to switch energy deal once they are sucked in.”
In a joint statement Eon and Age UK said: “Eon and Age UK Enterprises have announced that they are temporarily to stop offering an Age UK Enterprises branded tariff to new and renewing Eon customers from Wednesday 10 February 2016. This decision has been reached on a mutual basis and both organisations retain confidence in the tariff offered to customers. However, due to continued speculation regarding the partnership, both organisations feel it is right to pause and reflect on the best way for both parties to achieve their shared goal of helping customers.”
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