Energy Bill and Prepayment Meter Amendments

Backed by my SNP colleagues, including the Group Leader Stephen Flynn MP, Deputy Leader Mhairi Black MP and SNP Spokesperson for Energy Alan Brown MP along with organisations across the UK, I have pushed the Government to end the practice of so called ‘self-disconnection’ for prepayment meter customers within 6 months of the bill becoming law. The amendments point at ways this could be achieved by the introduction of a social tariff for prepayment meter customers, a mechanism to automatically apply credit a prepayment meter runs out of credit and the option to transfer a prepayment meter customer to ‘credit mode’ automatically if they run out.

A second amendment looks to restrict the use of prepayment meters for vulnerable customers, building on the my campaign to ban self-disconnection and stop the forced installation of prepayment meters. An investigation by The Times, exposing the actions of agents for British Gas, led to a public outcry and fitting was halted after agents broke into the homes of vulnerable people. However, the new voluntary Code of Practice introduced by Ofgem in April could easily see energy suppliers continuing to forcibly install the meters in vulnerable households.

The relationship between Ofgem and the energy firms is broken, and any respect for Ofgem rules and regulations has gone. We’ve seen these firms breach Ofgem guidelines time and time again and they’re happy to take a slap on the wrist and pay the fines. What we need to protect vulnerable prepayment meter customers is legislation and laws that will give hand power to the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero to protect vulnerable energy customers. If the energy firms won’t listen to Ofgem, maybe they will listen when it becomes law!

I established the All Party Parliamentary Group on Prepayment Meters earlier this year and we have worked with some amazing organisations and people to make progress in this campaign. The public are outraged when they hear what these energy firms are doing to vulnerable customers and I’m certain that my amendments will get the backing they need to become law.

I’d urge anyone out there to write to their MP and urge them to back these new clauses – we need to get the right protections in place before the colder months are back with us.