Forced prepay meter installations could be banned for the most vulnerable customers

MeterMan

Come on, title says ban forced fit, content says ban the charges. clickbait

Joyful

Not true Sacsquacco, British Gas have very strict criteria as to who can have smart PP meters. People with visual problems and other problems are vetted to see if it is the right thing to install. Currently people can refuse but of course this may change in the future. I think more people should become aware of Fuel Direct. If they are vulnerable and on benefits their energy bills get taken from their benefit. This stops a PP meter being required.

Mrs_Ryan

I used to work in the utilities industry and the definition of vulnerable was strict. Families with babies or young children (under five) the elderly, and anyone with medical problems with relevant proof. I was under the impression a PPM couldn't be forcibly fitted if there was a vulnerable person in the house but I must be wrong about that. I know I argued successfully with Scottish Power when OH fell behind with the electricity- he has severe and enduring mental health problems- he's acutely delusional and has severe memory problems (he's not just a bit low, he has real problems) I told them that he couldn't cope with a PPM as he would not be able to understand how to operate one, he doesn't even know how to top up his ancient brick of a mobile phone let alone a PPM- he claims that today's technology interferes with his head- not just it does his head in, he literally thinks radio waves are interfering with his brain) at the time I was in and out of hospital because I was in the early stages of cancer treatment so they had to grudgingly agree not to as there were two vulnerable people in the house.
This needs to be policed properly- there needs to be criteria and requirements for proof to be in place and not just anyone can claim to be vulnerable.

Cardew

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

I used to work in the utilities industry and the definition of vulnerable was strict. Families with babies or young children (under five) the elderly, and anyone with medical problems with relevant proof.


this needs to be policed properly- there needs to be criteria and requirements for proof to be in place and not just anyone can claim to be vulnerable.

'Elderly and children under five' is hardly a definition of vulnerable.

Agreed it needs to be 'policed properly', but who does the policing? - surely not the energy companies?

The question is what happens if the 'vulnerable' can't/won't pay their energy bill and can't have a mandatory PPM fitted?

[Deleted User]

Its a load of rubbish about suppliers flagging up vulnerable customers.I have been on this forum for a few years now and one of my early comments was how lax the suppliers are at noting actually who is vulnerable.I have all the info at hand on my hand held computer .I enter homes of the very very elderly, people who are virtually blind, people who cannot get down to a meter and if they did they would nt get up again. I even have kept a photograph of an elderly gents info on my hand held who was very upset that he could nt read the meter. It clearly stated on my hand held, CUSTOMER BLIND, yet the call centres carried on phoning him to make him read the meter for them. British Gas had started a quite disgusting practice of phoning elderly customers to badger them for their readings. It did nt matter how infirm or how visually poor they were, British Gas continued with this disgusting practice. It got to a point that my union took the matter up to try and stop Brit Gas carrying on like this because we thought someone would soon be injured or even killed falling off stools to get to high meters. They were trying to save money getting the readings over the phone.Thats what British Gas thought of "vulnerable customers "
Smart meters suit ALL vulnerable customers, credit or prepayment and in my opinion a vulnerable customer is one that is extremely elderly and infirm

unforeseen

Cardew wrote: »

The question is what happens if the 'vulnerable' can't/won't pay their energy bill and can't have a mandatory PPM fitted?

Since most groups that are considered vulnerable get allocated/ringfenced government money then the energy bills for them can be paid out of the monies allocated for that vulnerability.

GingerBob_3

sacsquacco wrote: »

Its a load of rubbish about suppliers flagging up vulnerable customers.I have been on this forum for a few years now and one of my early comments was how lax the suppliers are at noting actually who is vulnerable.I have all the info at hand on my hand held computer .I enter homes of the very very elderly, people who are virtually blind, people who cannot get down to a meter and if they did they would nt get up again. I even have kept a photograph of an elderly gents info on my hand held who was very upset that he could nt read the meter. It clearly stated on my hand held, CUSTOMER BLIND, yet the call centres carried on phoning him to make him read the meter for them. British Gas had started a quite disgusting practice of phoning elderly customers to badger them for their readings. It did nt matter how infirm or how visually poor they were, British Gas continued with this disgusting practice. It got to a point that my union took the matter up to try and stop Brit Gas carrying on like this because we thought someone would soon be injured or even killed falling off stools to get to high meters. They were trying to save money getting the readings over the phone.Thats what British Gas thought of "vulnerable customers "
Smart meters suit ALL vulnerable customers, credit or prepayment and in my opinion a vulnerable customer is one that is extremely elderly and infirm

And this is one reason why I urge people NEVER to give their phone numbers to energy providers (or a host of other organisations). They have no need of it whatsoever, and as this shows, they use it to the disadvantage of the customer.

Mrs_Ryan

Cardew wrote: »

'Elderly and children under five' is hardly a definition of vulnerable.

Agreed it needs to be 'policed properly', but who does the policing? - surely not the energy companies?

The question is what happens if the 'vulnerable' can't/won't pay their energy bill and can't have a mandatory PPM fitted?

I think they considered it the risk factor if they were cut off and had no heating- essentially if an average fit and healthy person had no heating in the middle of winter as they hadn't paid their bill they could probably get by somehow but if someone was elderly and frail or a newborn baby probably wouldn't cope quite as well therefore were considered vulnerable.

Cardew

Originally Posted by Cardew View Post

The question is what happens if the 'vulnerable' can't/won't pay their energy bill and can't have a mandatory PPM fitted?

unforeseen wrote: »

Since most groups that are considered vulnerable get allocated/ringfenced government money then the energy bills for them can be paid out of the monies allocated for that vulnerability.

Are you suggesting that if a 'vulnerable' customer on a credit meter runs up a debt of, say £1,000+, that will be paid by a deduction from, say, their Retirement pension?

unforeseen

No it will be paid out of the pot allocated for that particular vulnerability.

If they are the elderly then it comes out of the retirement, if young children the it comes out of the pot of money allocated to CB.

I just knew there would be somebody who would try to make it look as though the deduction would be against the person to attempt to make a point