Credit: Angela Christofilou
By Stu Bretherton
Today marks a win for our movement, with compensation delivered to 40,000 households impacted by the horrific practice of forced prepayment meter installation.
2 years on from a scandal that sparked national fury and after huge campaign pressure from Fuel Poverty Action and other organisations, Ofgem has been forced to admit to the huge scale of energy firms disregarding the rules and regulations placed on them.
This has left pensioners, disabled people, newborn babies and many others without essential, lifesaving energy.
Without the efforts of campaigners, the £18.6 million in compensation and debt write-offs agreed today would never have happened.
But today’s announcement unfortunately does not mean justice. As FPA’s founder, Ruth London, said on ITV News, this is “too little, too late.” Many harmed by this practice over the years are no longer with us, and damage done through worsened health, living standards and loss of life can never be repaid.
FPA led the charge over the winter of 2022/23 in pushing for forced PPMs to be banned.
We held 4 days of Warm Ups, demonstrations, parliamentary interruptions, vigils and letter writing. We advocated in the media, parliament and coalitions, pushing the likes of Citizens Advice to get behind the demand. In the end, companies were ordered to halt all forced installs.
When after 9 months, rumours came of plans to lift the suspension before the winter, FPA rallied again and helped to delay the return until the new year.
We won’t be fooled by updated regulations, when these have failed time and again. FPA spoke directly in recent weeks with executives of Good Energy, a B Corp, who insisted on the need for them to use forced PPMs, emphasising the rigorous process they follow.
Good Energy was among those ordered to pay compensation today, showing that no regulation is strict enough for a policy designed to punish people who fall behind on their energy bills.
Only an outright ban on forced PPMs and ending energy disconnections will deliver justice.
What needs to happen next
- A ban on forced installations
- An end to remote switching. Remote switching means energy suppliers can remotely switch a customer’s meter from paying by credit to prepayment mode. It’s dangerous and puts people off getting smart meters.
- Proper compensation for those still waiting. Ofgem needs to complete outstanding investigations quickly – people have been waiting years.
- An Ofgem investigation into the safety of ALL prepayment meters. Even where rules are followed, there are millions of other homes where prepayment meters are harming vulnerable people. For example people coming out of hospital and having no power is dangerous.
How you can help
Share your story. If you or someone you know has had a prepayment meter forcibly installed, we’d like to hear from you. Sharing your story on our website, socials or in the press is one of the best ways we can show that everyone deserves the right to the energy they need to stay healthy and well.
