Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that customers are consulted with before being moved onto a prepayment meter.

Ofgem, the independent regulator, is responsible for setting the rules regarding prepayment meter transfers. These rules require that suppliers can force-fit a prepayment meter by warrant only after they have taken all reasonable steps to agree payment with customers. It should be a last resort to avoid disconnecting supply. Suppliers cannot force-fit a prepayment meter under warrant for people in very vulnerable situations without their consent. For Smart meters, the rules require suppliers to give at least seven days’ notice before moving a customer remotely to prepayment meters. Traditional meters can only be switched manually and require customer consent or a court warrant.