The controversy erupted in 2023 after an investigation by The Times exposed agents ignoring signs of vulnerability, including severe mental health conditions and physical disabilities, while fitting meters in customers’ homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ofgem said installing a prepay meter under a warrant \u201cshould only be a last resort, with rigorous checks to ensure debt is recovered lawfully, proportionately and safely\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The regulator also defended voluntary prepaid energy arrangements, saying smart pay-as-you-go meters were \u201ca positive choice for many customers, helping them stay in control of their energy use and reporting high levels of satisfaction\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The decision has alarmed fuel poverty campaigners, who question whether existing safeguards can prevent further harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon Francis, a coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: \u201cIt\u2019s almost as if regulators and ministers are failing to remember the lessons of the last energy price spike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile more protections are now in place than in 2022, we know that magistrates are still approving bulk batches of applications for forced prepayment meter installs and some of the system failures identified in the original investigations are still happening.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The warning comes as household energy debt is forecast to exceed \u00a37 billion, potentially adding more than \u00a380 to the average household energy bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Households are facing another winter of high energy bills, and just months after British Gas agreed a \u00a3112m settlement over its treatment of customers, Ofgem is allowing the company to force-fit prepayment meters in people\u2019s homes again.\n\nIf you\u2019re already struggling to pay your energy bill, being put on prepayment won\u2019t make it any easier to afford. It means that if you run out of credit and can\u2019t afford to top up, you could be left without heating or power.\n\nHouseholds have stronger protections than they did in 2022, but magistrates are still approving warrant applications in batches. 22% of adults are worried about going into energy debt and could be affected. This is the wrong time for the regulator Ofgem to loosen limited protections.\n\nRead more: https:\/\/t.co\/wiT8dHWZZ8<\/p>— End Fuel Poverty Coalition (@EndFuelPoverty) November 3, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n British Gas maintains that suppliers must distinguish between customers experiencing genuine financial hardship and those who can afford their bills but refuse to engage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur industry needs to protect and support customers who genuinely cannot afford to pay while taking appropriate action where people are able to pay but do not engage,\u201d the company said. \u201cWe know many households are struggling with energy costs, and we offer significant support to those who need it most.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The supplier said it planned to \u201cengage early, offer targeted support and agree flexible, affordable repayment options\u201d to struggling customers wherever possible, and that involuntary prepay meter fittings would \u201cremain a last resort, with robust vulnerability and affordability checks\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under Ofgem’s regulations, energy suppliers must attempt to contact customers at least 10 times and conduct a welfare visit before installing a prepayment meter under warrant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Forced installations are prohibited in households containing children under two, people over 75, or individuals with severe medical conditions or essential medical equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A government spokesperson said: \u201cThis is a regulatory decision by Ofgem. We cannot allow past rogue practices to be repeated, where prepayment meters were wrongly installed in the homes of vulnerable people. We are closely watching to make sure companies protect their customers and act within Ofgem\u2019s rules.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ofgem has pledged continued monitoring of suppliers and says it will take action whenever companies fail to comply with its rules.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" British Gas can once again install prepayment meters under warrant, raising concerns for households struggling with energy debt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":128167,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-128166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128166"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":128170,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128166\/revisions\/128170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"British](\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/06\/British-Gas-and-EDF-Launch-Discount-Rewards-for-Eligible-Customers-across-21-Sectors-1200x727.jpg\")
Campaigners Warn That Past Failures Could Return<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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British Gas Defends Its Approach to Unpaid Bills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Strict Safeguards Remain in Place for Vulnerable Households<\/h2>\n\n\n\n