Voluntary rules to protect struggling households with prepayment meters could become compulsory, under new proposals launched by the energy regulator. Ofgem said it was starting a consultation that will make the protections in place a compulsory part of suppliers’ licence conditions.
It comes after some energy suppliers, including British Gas, were caught breaking into the homes of people struggling to pay their bills to forcibly install a prepayment meter (PPM). Ofgem launched an investigation after the practice was publicly exposed.
Unveiled in May, the voluntary code of practice bans forcibly installing PPMs into the homes of people over the age of 85. The tougher rules also mean that energy suppliers and their contractors must make at least 10 attempts to contact a customer and carry out a site welfare visit before it can be installed.
