People who are having their energy supply cut off are suffering with freezing conditions like those in “war”, the Commons heard today.
Alba Party MP Kenny MacAskill made the comparison as he called for an end to people having their power turned off because they cannot afford to top up their pre-payment meters.
He said those “afflicted by self-disconnection and all its misery are also civilians but we are at peace, not war”.
The MP for East Lothian, Scotland, asked an urgent question in the Commons on the forced installation of prepayment meters for customers who are struggling to pay bills
In his statement, he said: "A parliamentary answer on Tuesday disclosed that around 66,000 households in Scotland and 660,000 across Britain, had self-disconnected from smart meters in quarter three of last year."
He said self-disconnection is a "euphemism for being simply unable to afford to heat or power your home".
Mr MacAskill highlighted these figures were from “before prices rose and temperatures dropped", adding that they are the "tip of the iceberg" and "do not cover those on legacy prepayment meters".
He asked: "Given this cruelty in cold winter, will the minister now, firstly, forthwith, end the forced installation of prepayment meters?
"Secondly, immediately abolish the perverse higher standing charges and tariffs for prepayment meters? And thirdly, as a matter of urgency, bring in a social tariff for the poorest and most vulnerable?"
Business minister Graham Stuart pointed to the Secretary of State's five-point plan and letter to energy supplies "calling on them to take every step to support consumers in difficulty", as well as wider Government support.
He said: "The Government wants to see much greater efforts from suppliers to help consumers in payment difficulties, including offers of additional credit, debt forgiveness or debt advice.
"There are also established industry rules and processes to reduce the risk of self-disconnection… it's vital that these rules are followed. The Secretary of State wrote to Ofgem to ensure they take a robust approach to compliance."
Addressing the issue of self-disconnecting, Mr Stuart said: "I think we can be proud of the fact that I think the numbers of people who were physically disconnected from power and heat last year were literally in single figures."
He said prepayment meters have to be an "absolute last resort" and said "all supplies required to provide emergency credit when the meter runs out".
More than three million people were left without heating or power last year because they ran out of credit on their meter.
An estimated 600,000 people were forced to make the switch after racking up debt with their energy supplier last year, compared with 380,000 in 2021, according to Citizens Advice.
People using prepayment meters pay for their gas and electricity by adding credit to a card or key in a corner shop or Post Office.
But this is a more expensive method of paying than by direct debit.
Suppliers have been increasingly using court warrants to force their way into homes to install prepayment meters, or have been automatically switching them on smart meters.
Labour demanded earlier this month for energy firms to be banned from forcing customers onto prepayment meters.
The party has already called for an end to people on the meters having to pay more for their energy than debit customers.
It has also called for additional government support to individual households on prepayment meters.
Groups including Fuel Poverty Action and the National Pensioner’s Convention last week ramped-up calls for the practice to be halted amid fears that some of Britain’s poorest households are being left without heating as temperatures plummet.
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