More than 100,000 people have signed a petition calling for a complete ban on energy companies forcing people to switch to prepayment meters to recoup debts that have built up on their accounts.
The news comes as it has been reported that debt collectors hired by British Gas are breaking into vulnerable customers' homes to fit prepayment meters, which force families to top up the meter if they want to receive gas supplies or 'self-disconnect' if they haven't got the funds.
Online campaigners 38 Degrees says the public has united behind calls for energy companies to stop forcing struggling people to accept prepayment meters, saying the petition highlights the broader harms of forced switching. Prepayment - or pay as you go - meters only work if the customer pays for their gas or electricity before they use it, either via an app or adding credit to a card or 'key'.
