A ban on the forced installation of prepayment electricity and gas meters will last just six more weeks, Ofgem has confirmed.
The regulator earlier this month ordered energy suppliers to halt the practice of forcing customers to have prepayment meters fitted against their will if they have fallen into debt. The intervention came after an investigation by The Times, which saw some debt collectors working on behalf of British Gas were allegedly breaking into people's homes to install prepay meters and ignoring signs of extreme vulnerabilities.
The temporary ban on installing prepayment meters under warrant will last until March 31, despite calls from politicians to outlaw the practice. Just weeks ago, the business and energy secretary, Grant Shapps, had warned suppliers that moving customers onto prepay should be a last resort, and that they must first take every step possible to support those in financial difficulty.
