Ofgem says ban on forced prepayment meters will end in six weeks

theguardian.com:

A ban on the forced installation of prepayment meters will last just six more weeks despite calls from politicians to outlaw the practice.

Energy regulator Ofgem has said a temporary ban on installing prepayment meters under warrant would last until 31 March.

The prospect of a return to forced installations as soon as April may raise concerns among consumers facing a 40% hike in their bills.

Ofgem hurriedly ordered suppliers to halt the practice of forcing customers who fall behind on payments to prepayment meters after the Times reported that debt agents working on behalf of British Gas had ignored signs that customers were vulnerable.

British Gas then suspended the tactic, before Ofgem asked all suppliers to stop earlier this month. At the time, Ofgem did not give a date for the conclusion of the ban.

This also included a ban on suppliers remotely switching customers on to prepayment tariffs through their smart meter.

According to Sky News, Ofgem’s chief executive, Jonathan Brearley, said in a letter to suppliers that they had “agreed to our request to immediately halt forced installations and remote transfers to prepayment meters until the end of March 2023”.

Ofgem has committed to concluding a review on the treatment of vulnerable customers by 31 March, and could extend the ban or make it permanent.

An Ofgem spokesperson said this date would be when “the new rules will be ready pending our detailed investigation” and that it had asked suppliers to halt forced installations until then. The ban will remain in place “until the supplier boards can assure us that they are meeting their obligations”, the spokesperson said.

Suppliers have argued that installing prepayment meters allows them to recover debts and stops consumers