Energy: Meters

(asked on 24th April 2020) - View Source

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what (a) financial and (b) practical help he is providing to ensure that (a) people (i) self-isolating and in a (ii) vulnerable or shielded group and (b) other people who use coin-operated energy meters are able to maintain power supply during the lockdown.


Answered by
Kwasi Kwarteng Portrait
Kwasi Kwarteng
This question was answered on 4th May 2020

The Department reached a voluntary agreement with all domestic energy suppliers to a set of principles to support energy customers impacted by COVID-19. These principles include support for prepayment meter customers, who primarily use electronic tokens, keys or cards to top up their meters. Based on individual circumstances, the support available to prepayment meter customers could include:

  • extending discretionary/ friendly credit or sending out a pre-loaded top up card;
  • enabling customers to nominate a trusted third party to be able to pick up discretionary credit sent to a shop on their behalf;
  • switching smart prepayment meters into credit mode, or extending non-disconnection periods, and;
  • taking reasonable steps to contact prepayment customers with advice on what to do in the event of self-isolation.

Many energy suppliers have provided additional support for their customers.

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