Stab vests, huge dogs and escape routes: the secret diary of a prepay meter fitter

The British Gas engineer says they face lots more dogs, particularly powerful ones, since the Covid pandemic. Photograph: Cheryl Paz/Alamy

All energy suppliers in the UK have agreed to halt the forced installation of prepayment meters for vulnerable customers, following pressure from a series of exposes about the practice.

The announcement on Friday came days after a judge effectively banned magistrates in England and Wales from issuing the warrants to forcibly install prepayment meters. The move followed a report that debt agents at Arvato Financial Solutions working for British Gas were ignoring signs that people were vulnerable and fitting prepayment meters under court warrant regardless.