Households on prepayment meters are seeing up to 90% of their gas top-ups going on repaying debt as they head into the winter months, figures show. Almost 300,000 households had their gas and electricity prepayment meters set to recover debt when they top up in the first quarter of this year, according to Ofgem data obtained via a Freedom of Information request.
The data collected by debt help website DebtBuffer.com shows that there has been a 43% jump in gas prepayment customers having their meters set to repay debts over the two years to the first quarter of this year. There has also been a 30% increase in electricity prepayment customers repaying debt over the same period.
Those customers who fall into arrears on their agreed weekly debt repayments or use “emergency credit” are facing up to 100% of their electricity top ups and 90% of their gas top ups being used to clear their accounts before they can heat their homes.
