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Forced prepayment meter fittings to be banned for over-75s and those with young children

If you are aged 75 or over, or have a child under two, energy suppliers will be permanently banned from forcibly installing a prepayment meter in your home on 8 November. It comes as the energy regulator's current code of practice is to be extended, and become mandatory, in a bid to protect more households.

Forced prepayment meter fittings to be banned for over-75s and those with young children – here's what you need to know

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  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 15,137 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Third Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    Well that's definitely a thing.
    I look forward to last winter's tabloid headlines of "80-year-old granny cut off by heartless energy co's prepayment meter" being replaced this year with "80-year-old granny sued by heartless energy co for unpaid bills".
    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec & Tracker gas / Shell (now TT) BB / Lebara mobi. Ripple Kirk Hill member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 33MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Not exactly back from my break, but dipping in and out of the forum.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Best kettle!
  •  in a bid to protect more households.

    .
    Protecting them from what, how?
  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 15,137 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Third Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
     in a bid to protect more households.
    Protecting them from what, how?
    Also, isn't prepayment cheaper than credit these days? And potentially cheaper than DD, depending on tariff and consumption?
    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec & Tracker gas / Shell (now TT) BB / Lebara mobi. Ripple Kirk Hill member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 33MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Not exactly back from my break, but dipping in and out of the forum.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Best kettle!
  • la531983
    la531983 Posts: 2,538 Forumite
    1,000 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited 13 September 2023 at 5:17PM
    QrizB said:
     in a bid to protect more households.
    Protecting them from what, how?
    Also, isn't prepayment cheaper than credit these days? And potentially cheaper than DD, depending on tariff and consumption?
    Electric Prepayment is cheaper after around 4. 5 units a day and gas after about a few units a day (unsure of the number) , yes.  A higher standing charge but unit rates are lower. 

    Organisation such as the CAB still perpetuate a myth it costs more. 
  • Prepayment meters will never be as cheap as not paying your bill.
  • badmemory
    badmemory Posts: 9,067 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    They also need to know that you are over 75 or have under 2.  So do you need to register as vulnerable?
  • la531983 said:
    QrizB said:
     in a bid to protect more households.
    Protecting them from what, how?
    Also, isn't prepayment cheaper than credit these days? And potentially cheaper than DD, depending on tariff and consumption?
    Electric Prepayment is cheaper after around 4. 5 units a day and gas after about a few units a day (unsure of the number) , yes.  A higher standing charge but unit rates are lower. 

    Organisation such as the CAB still perpetuate a myth it costs more. 
    Do those calculations allow for fact from 1 October EPG will be reducing SC instead of unit rate for pre-payment meters ?
  • la531983
    la531983 Posts: 2,538 Forumite
    1,000 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    la531983 said:
    QrizB said:
     in a bid to protect more households.
    Protecting them from what, how?
    Also, isn't prepayment cheaper than credit these days? And potentially cheaper than DD, depending on tariff and consumption?
    Electric Prepayment is cheaper after around 4. 5 units a day and gas after about a few units a day (unsure of the number) , yes.  A higher standing charge but unit rates are lower. 

    Organisation such as the CAB still perpetuate a myth it costs more. 
    Do those calculations allow for fact from 1 October EPG will be reducing SC instead of unit rate for pre-payment meters ?
    It's as of today. I don't have the figures from 1st October. 
  • Mobtr
    Mobtr Posts: 672 Forumite
    500 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    No mention of smart meters being remotely changed to PAYG, just says about forcefully fitted pp meters 
  • SAC2334
    SAC2334 Posts: 854 Forumite
    500 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    The debt repayment rates are much lower being repaid via a prepayment meter because there's a maximum weekly repay amount they are allowed to install on the meter..It used to be a max of £14 a week even if you owed thousands with much smaller amounts of no more than £4 a week for an amount of around £750 . 
    The suppliers will be asking for repayments of much more than that on credit meter debts . 
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