MSE News: Energy suppliers warned to stop force-fitting prepay meters before offering more support

MSE_Oliver

Energy companies have been called on to voluntarily stop the practice of forcibly moving customers to prepayment meters without taking every step to support households struggling to pay bills first. The message has been put forward in a letter to firms from business and energy secretary, Grant Shapps. It follows a reported surge in households being moved to prepayment meters over recent months...

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Energy suppliers warned to stop force-fitting prepayment meters before offering more support – what to do if you're unfairly switched

MattMattMattUK

This appears to be largely another distraction attempt by the government. The energy suppliers only switch people over/fit meters having made a lot of effort to resolve the issues around the debt and if the customer refuses to engage wit them, I am not sure what Shapps expects the energy providers do in a situation where the customer refuses to engage. 

CanNeverThinkOfAUsername

I know i will get hate for this - But i do feel sorry for energy suppliers in times like this. They need to be paid, and if customers don't pay and refuse all the help that is out there they should be moved to prepaid! I feel like energy suppliers are just getting so much rubbish chucked at them right now and the public lap it up!

pochase

This are the rules that have been in place anyway.

So what is the news? Sounds a bit like we show that we are doing something, even if we do nothing at all.

matelodave

I'm not sure what energy companies can do if people don't or wont pay their energy bills except just pass the costs onto the rest of us who do or try calling a halt to escalating debits. How long do you leave it or how large do you allow a bill to increase before you take some action.

At least being put on a PayGo tariff focusses the mind on what is important rather than letting bills ramp up to ginormous proportions with no possibility of getting it repaid. The alternative is being cut off completely.

As said above, most energy companies do make a lot of effort to sort it out with customers but if it comes down to court action and locksmith's then that doesn't really help anyone if the customers wont co-operate and the extra costs just get added

 if you use it and dont pay then really that is theft, in much the same way as filling up your car and driving away without paying for it.

It's probably not what people hope to hear but realistically, what is the alternative