Prepayment Meters

Lord Sahota Excerpts
Tuesday 14th May 2024

(6 months, 1 week ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Callanan Portrait Lord Callanan (Con)
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I am happy to hear the noble Lord’s clarification. If I am wrong on that, I will certainly write to him about it.

Lord Sahota Portrait Lord Sahota (Lab)
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My Lords, I represented one of the most deprived wards in my town for over 20 years. What I learned about these prepayment meters is that they are the bane of the lower-paid. Some of those people wanted them made illegal and to be taken out. Do the Government have any such plans?

Lord Callanan Portrait Lord Callanan (Con)
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No, we believe that some customers prefer to have prepayment meters, which enable them to manage their credits and debts responsibly. Some customers choose that; some prefer direct debit; some prefer to operate on a normal credit basis. All choices will remain available. As I said, if they are not in debt, it is the customers’ choice as to what payment method they use.