We support the Call to end forced installation of prepayment meters after millions suffer without power

Last September, Citizens Advice published ‘Out of the cold’, which warned of the hardship facing people on prepayment meters (PPMs) through the winter. We raised concerns about the worrying practice of energy suppliers forcing customers who are struggling to afford their bills onto PPMs — risking customers disconnecting from power completely simply because they cannot afford to top up their meter. Our latest report, ‘Kept in the dark’, uncovers the true scale of the problem, and confirms that our concerns were well-founded.

We’re now asking the Government to implement a total ban on forced prepayment meter installations until new protections are introduced, ensuring households can no longer be fully cut off from gas and electricity.

Did you know ?

• 3.2 million people across Great Britain ran out of credit last year because they couldn’t afford to top up their meter. That’s one person every 10 seconds — cut off from gas and electricity
• More than two million people are being disconnected at least once a month.
• Nearly one in five (18%) households including a disabled person or someone with a long term health condition, who ran out of credit last year, went on to spend two days or more without energy supply
• More than a quarter (27%) of those struggling to top up their prepayment meter, over 850,000 people, are disconnecting from their energy supply at least once a week

(Source: Nationally representative poll of 4,384 adults (18+) in the UK conducted by Yonder Data Solutions for Citizens Advice).

National Citizens Advice research has found:

• More than 2 million people on prepayment meters are being disconnected from their energy supply at least once a month.
• 1 in 5 (19%) prepayment customers who had been disconnected from their energy supply in the past year said they had disconnected for more than 24 hours at least once.
• 1 in 3 (33%) people on prepayment meters said that they had disconnected at least once in the past year because they could not afford to top up. This equates to more than 3 million people, or 1 person every 10 seconds.
• 130,000 households including a disabled person, or someone with a long-term health condition, are being disconnected from their energy supply at least once a week because they can’t afford to top up.
• 34,735 homes in Yorkshire and Humber are being are being disconnected at least once a week.

This issue is affecting our client locally within the Doncaster borough. It is a great concern and one our advisers are dealing with on a daily basis.

This is an example of one of the clients our energy adviser helped

The client was a pension age individual retired and living in a social housing property . She was married to a working age partner. The Client was disabled and claiming Attendance Allowance. Client was reliant on her partner for help with her finances.

Client energy Bill : Scottish power £987.54 (Gas & Electricity)

Scottish power have forced the client to move from direct debit to prepayment meters due to the arrears despite the client being a pensioner and having health conditions including being deaf which made it difficult for her to deal with this herself.

Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough helped the client apply to Scottish Power Hardship Fund which was not provided to her by the supplier — we are waiting for a decision — If this is unsuccessful we will look to pay off her arrears through our partnership with British Gas energy trust to assist.

We topped her meter up with £49 credit as she was unable to afford to do this herself

We ensured that she is on the priority service register so she won’t be cut off

We helped the client with budgeting and provided her with a full benefit check to ensure she was receiving all she was entitled to, we also went through some energy saving tips to help her reduce her usage.

• 95 Fuel vouchers were issued through our local office in December through the Fuel Bank foundation

Our CEO James Woods states ‘The staggering rise in the cost of living means many people simply cannot afford to heat and power their homes to safe levels and the number of people being moved onto PPMs for debt continues to grow sharply. Forcing people who are already struggling with affordability to start paying for their energy via a PPM risks people self-disconnecting from supply, simply because they can’t afford to top-up. This has serious consequences for people’s health and safety.

At Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough we are particularly concerned about disabled people and those living with long-term health conditions being disconnected from their energy supply because they can’t afford to top up. If you have a disability or long term health condition its essential to avoid having no supply you let your provider know and are placed on the priority services register.

When a prepayment meter isn’t topped up the household power or gas supply is completely disconnected. No heat. No light. No hot water. Nothing

What Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough is requesting are New protections to stop people being fully cut off from gas and electricity. Until then, there must be a total ban on energy companies forcing those already at breaking point onto prepayment meters

If you are struggling to afford your energy bills or have debts to current or previous suppliers, or want help with getting on the priority services register please contact us to discuss your options on 01302 243057 or refer yourself to us at www.cadoncasterborough.org’

James Woods — CEO -Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough