BBC expert explains the 5 groups protected from energy prepayment meters

A BBC expert has explained the five groups of people in Britain today who cannot have a prepayment meter forced on them. Three years ago, the forced prepayment meter fitting scandal revealed some energy firms had been installing these meters without the permission of bill payers, prompting Ofgem to tighten the rules are this practice.

However, in some cases your energy firm can still forcibly install these meters without your consent if you aren’t in one of five protected groups. BBC Your Voice correspondent Colletta Smith explained the situation on Morning Live on May 20, assuring people that there’s a lengthy process firms have to go through before they can turn up at your door.

She said: “British Gas and companies that they employed to chase up debts were forcing their way into people’s houses, unbeknownst to those individuals, and installing prepayment meter in their house. So you’ve nipped out to the shops you come back, somebody’s effectively broken into your house and there’s suddenly a prepay meter in your property that wasn’t there before.”

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Since the scandal broke three years ago – and it emerged other firms had done the same thing – Ofgem has put in place “much tighter protections”. But Colletta pointed out the practice is not banned outright.

When host Gaby Roslin asked if it’s still possible to have a prepayment meter forcibly installed, Colletta said: “The answer to that is yes. They can if people are in debt but as I say, there is a huge amount of protection now that wasn’t there three years ago.”

She revealed there’s five groups of people who “definitely cannot” have a prepayment meter forcibly installed in their property.

These are:

• You’re aged over 75 with nobody else living in the house
• You have a child under the age of two living with you
• You rely on powered medical equipment
• You have a severe health condition or terminal illness
• You’re unable to top up due to a physical or mental incapcity

Colletta said: “If you’re worried and you fit into any of those criteria, be reassured that you can never have a prepayment metre installed in your property against your will.” Even if you aren’t in these five groups, the process to having a meter forcibly installed also has a lot more hoops for energy firms to jump through than it did in 2023.

This starts with obtaining a warrant to enter your property from the courts. Colletta continued: “Even if they do manage to get a warrant for your property, the rules now say that they have to make 10 attempts to contact you, so giving you a ring, sending you an email, sending you a letter.”

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This must be followed by a welfare visit, where the agents must wear audio and body cameras, so they can check you definitely aren’t in one of the protective groups. Colletta noted: “Maybe that you’ve not let your energy supplier know that you’ve just had a baby, it’s not really top on most people’s priorities at that time.”

If you do end up having a meter forcibly installed, you are then entitled to either a £30 credit or equivalent non-disconnection period. Energy suppliers may consider moving you to a prepayment meter if you are struggling with energy debt. But Ofgem says it should only be forcibly installed “as a last resort” to claim back to the debt.

Debt agents working for British Gas had broken into the homes of vulnerable customers to install prepayment meters, it emerged three years ago. This week, British Gas said it had agreed to pay £20m into a fund and compensate customers to settle an investigation by the energy regulator into the matter.

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Chris O’Shea, the boss of British Gas owner Centrica, apologised to the customers affected, saying: “What happened should never have happened.” A total of 40,000 customers with a number of energy firms had a prepayment meter installed without permission in the period between 2022 and 2023. Firms including EDF, E.On and Scottish Power have already agreed to pay compensation.