I am an impulse buyer- if it’s pretty, shiny and preferably covered in animal print, I’m sold, no matter who makes it. My mother shops on loyalty, she prefers tried and tested names that she feels she can trust.

For years we’ve debated these opposing approaches to purchasing: I feel that my Mum continually pays over the odds for things, but generally has the last laugh when things go wrong. As I wrestle with customer service lines following internet purchases, she waltzes straight into John Lewis and gets it repaired with a smile. 

Seth Godin discusses this phenomenon in his blog, rightly pointing out that loyalty doesn’t last forever. Beware then, British Gas (and other energy suppliers), who were revealed last week to be overcharging their loyal customers by up to £800 for new boilers, which they claimed the householder was receiving a ‘discount’ on through the new boiler scrappage scheme. 

This scheme was designed to get the worst (G rated) boilers out of service by replacing them with new ones. Fuel poverty is no joke in the UK and this has all left me a little cold (boom boom).

Lesson learnt? Established shouldn’t mean complacent, loyal shouldn’t mean vulnerable and big names should know better. It’s off to our local gas boiler fitter for my Mum….