More than 94,000 prepayment meters have been put in in properties in Britain all through 2022, authorities figures present.
The meters have been put in by vitality suppliers equivalent to British Gas, Scottish Power and OVO Energy utilizing court-sought warrants and with out buyer consent.
Those three suppliers have been behind 70% of installations, the federal government stated, and fitted 66,187 units underneath warrant.
The follow of compelled set up attracted widespread condemnation and the vitality regulator Ofgem started an investigation. A short lived pause in compelled set up, up the tip of March, was introduced by the regulator.
It was prompted by an undercover investigation by The Times, which confirmed brokers for provider British Gas breaking into clients’ properties, together with susceptible households.
Prepayment meters are pay as you units that require high up funds to supply gasoline and electrical energy to a family. If funds will not be made no energy is provided. Meter vitality funds are costlier than invoice funds, one thing the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt stated would finish in July.
Energy suppliers set up the meters to clients who have been in debt to keep away from them amassing increased payments.
Energy Secretary Grant Shapps stated: “Today’s figures give a clear and horrifying picture of just how widespread the forced installation of prepayment meters had become, with last year seeing an average of over 7,500 force-fitted a month.”
Mr Shapps has not supported a blanket ban on prepayment meters.
“Prepayment meters are right for some people”, he stated.
“I do not want to ban them outright, but I do have concerns that companies have not been treating their customers fairly, over an already difficult winter during which the government has tried to help families by paying around half the energy bill of the average household”.
Source: information.sky.com”