As bills rose, energy firms forcibly fitted 94,000 prepayment meters in homes

MORE than 94,000 prepayment meters were last year forcibly installed in homes without customer consent – 70 per cent of them by British Gas, Scottish Power and Ovo Energy, figures show.

More than 7,500 were fitted every month, according to data supplied by firms to Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps.

British Gas, Scottish Power and Ovo Energy fitted a total of 66,187 devices under court warrant, with Scottish Power ‘the worst offender’ by forcing more than 24,300 meters into customers’ homes. Mr Shapps said: ‘Today’s figures give a clear and horrifying picture of just how widespread the forced installation of prepayment meters had become.

‘Prepayment meters are right for some people, so I do not want to ban them outright, but I do have concerns that companies have not been treating their customers fairly, over an already difficult winter.

‘After my calls for change, I’m pleased that suppliers have made their actions public and agreed to put a stop to forcing prepayment on to vulnerable customers for good – but this cannot happen again. I will be watching [industry regulator] Ofgem’s ongoing review closely so customers get the support they need – and those vulnerable consumers who have wrongly suffered forced installations get the justice they deserve in the form of redress.’

Prepayment meters have been in the spotlight after some suppliers were found to be breaking into the homes of those struggling to pay their bills to forcibly install them. Ofgem is reviewing the use of prepayment meters and companies have been instructed to investigate and redress such as compensation to customers where the meters were wrongly installed and regulations not followed.

The regulator extended the ban on forced installations of prepayment meters until a new code of practice is agreed by energy companies.