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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has instructed energy companies to only offer smart meters to consumers who wish to remove a prepayment meter.

The Government wants as many homes and small businesses to be able to benefit from smart meters as possible. Therefore, it has taken steps to make smart meters the default metering offer in Great Britain.

This includes obligating energy suppliers, under licence conditions, to take all reasonable steps to install a smart meter where a meter is fitted for the first time or when an existing meter needs to be replaced.

Prepayment customers see particular benefits from smart meters, which enable consumers to top-up remotely and track their balance easily, so they do not unknowingly run out of credit.