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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his Answer to the Question from the hon. Member for Eltham of 17 January 2023, Official Report, column 161, whether he plans to amend the (a) Gas Act 1986 and (b) Electricity Act 1989 to help tackle the practice of customers being forced onto prepayment meters.

When installing a prepayment meter, suppliers have to consider whether this is safe and practicable, including whether a prepayment meter is appropriate for the specific customer. Ofgem rules restrict the force fitting a prepayment meter (PPM) to repay debt, except as a last resort. As my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State set out in the House on 17^th January, officials are working on measures to support PPM consumers.