British Gas suspends force-fitting prepayment metres

British Gas has suspended the force-fitting of prepayment meters, aft a study said it imposed them connected susceptible customers.

The Times reported a institution employed by British Gas broke into homes to acceptable the meters, contempt signs that children and disabled radical were surviving there.

Business Secretary Grant Shapps said helium was "horrified" by the findings.

British Gas's proprietor Centrica said it would suspend the usage of tribunal warrants that let forced installations.

Centrica said the suspension would past "until astatine slightest aft winter" and that protecting susceptible radical was its priority.

It comes amid the rising outgo of surviving and arsenic household bills soar successful portion owed to mounting vigor costs.

The allegations centre connected Arvato, a third-party institution utilized by British Gas to prosecute debts.

In an undercover investigation, The Times said its newsman went with Arvato agents to the location of a azygous father, with 3 children.

After establishing the spot was unoccupied, the newsman observed the agents enactment with a locksmith to unit their mode successful and instal a prepayment meter.

Agents besides fitted a prepayment metre by unit astatine the location of a young parent with an babe baby, the paper said.

Others who experienced akin treatment, according to materials seen by The Times, see a parent whose girl is disabled and a pistillate described arsenic having mobility problems.

Chris O'Shea, the main enforcement of Centrica, described the allegations relating to Arvato were "unacceptable" and that they had instantly suspended the company's warrant activity.

He said helium was "extremely disappointed" astir what had occurred, adding: "As a result, connected Wednesday morning, we took a further determination to suspend each our prepayment warrant enactment astatine slightest until the extremity of the winter".

Mr O'Shea said the steadfast had "clear processes and policies" to guarantee it manages lawsuit indebtedness safely.

Business Secretary Grant Shapps said: "I americium horrified by the findings of this investigation."

"Switching customers - and peculiarly those who are susceptible - to prepayment meters should lone ever beryllium a past edifice and each different imaginable alternate should beryllium exhausted," helium said.

"These findings suggest British Gas are doing thing but this."

Mr Shapps said the vigor curate would clasp a gathering with British Gas "in the coming days," adding: "He volition beryllium demanding answers to guarantee this systemic nonaccomplishment is addressed."

A spokesperson for vigor regulator Ofgem said: "It is unacceptable for immoderate supplier to enforce forced installations connected susceptible customers struggling to wage their bills earlier each different options person been exhausted and without carrying retired thorough checks to guarantee it is harmless and practicable to bash so."

People utilizing prepayment meters wage for their state and energy by topping up their meter, either done accounts oregon by adding recognition to a paper successful a convenience store oregon Post Office.

This is simply a much costly method of paying than by nonstop debit, but is sometimes the lone enactment for radical who person struggled to wage and are successful indebtedness to an vigor supplier.

Many rented properties besides person prepayment meters.

Problems tin originate erstwhile residents nary longer person immoderate recognition near connected the meter, and person nary wealth to apical it up - leaving them incapable to navigator oregon vigor their homes.

Last month, the Citizens Advice foundation called for a prohibition connected vigor companies "forcing" customers onto prepayment meters due to the fact that they are struggling to wage bills.

In effect to The Times, Gillian Cooper, caput of vigor argumentation astatine Citizens Advice, said: "It's genuinely shocking to spot the grade of atrocious practices amongst immoderate vigor suppliers.

"Our frontline advisers cognize lone excessively good the hopeless situations truthful galore struggling customers person recovered themselves in. Time and clip again we person called for a prohibition connected forced prepayment metre installations until caller protections for customers are brought in.

"Ofgem and the Government request to enactment present - superior reforms indispensable beryllium made earlier these suppliers tin beryllium trusted again."

BBC News has contacted Arvato for comment.