ll UK household energy suppliers have agreed to a ban on forcibly installing prepayment meters (PPMs) in the homes of people over the age of 85, the industry regulator has announced.
Ofgem said suppliers have signed up to a new code of practice which will also see them give customers more chances to clear debts.
PPMs have been in the spotlight after some energy suppliers, including British Gas, were caught breaking into the homes of people struggling to pay their bills to forcibly install them.
Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley said: “Ofgem’s new voluntary code of practice is a minimum standard that clearly sets out steps all suppliers must take before moving to a PPM.
“If and when involuntary PPMs are used, it must be as a last resort, and customers in vulnerable situations will be given the extra care and consideration they deserve, over and above the rules already in place, by suppliers – something that has clearly not always been happening.
“This new code of practice means for some people PPMs should never be installed, and for high-risk groups their energy needs must be protected with a higher level of consideration.”
