Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent representations he has received on (a) the forced installation of prepayment meters and (b) the practice of self-disconnection by those households unable to afford to load credit onto prepayment meters.

The Department receives a number of representations about a range of issues relating to energy markets.

The energy regulator Ofgem has rules in place that restrict the force-fitting of a prepayment meter (PPM) on customers who are in debt, except as a last resort. Forcible installations of PPMs for the most vulnerable customers have been banned by Ofgem since 2017.

Ofgem rules also require energy suppliers to take all reasonable steps to identify prepayment meter customers who are self-disconnecting and provide appropriate support.