Government pre-payment meter plan falls short of what’s needed

Reacting to reports of the Government’s plan to tackle the pre-payment meters scandal, Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“The Government’s cease and desist order to energy firms is a welcome move, but falls short of the full ban on the forced transfer of homes onto pre-payment meters which we need to protect the most vulnerable.

“We also need to ensure that this voluntary approach covers the millions of people on smart meters, who must never be switched onto pre-payment mode without their active, informed consent.

“Recent revelations about the role of the courts have also been left unanswered. We need a full investigation to get to the bottom of the scandal quickly and ensure that if mistakes have been made, that those responsible are held to account and those that suffered are compensated.”