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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps with Ofgem to require power suppliers to not (a) encourage and (b) force customers to accept a prepayment meter.

Ofgem rules restrict the force fitting of a prepayment meter to repay debt except as a last resort. Ofgem’s License Conditions require suppliers to consider all options for appropriate debt management. This can include installing a prepayment meter, but suppliers have to consider whether this is safe and practicable, including whether a prepayment meter is appropriate for the specific customer.