Thousands of families on pre-payment meters across Peterborough

Labour is calling for a ban on the forced installation of prepayment meters, which has left many families without power.

The latest government statistics show that over 11,000 households in the city rely on a pre-payment meter for their electricity. The figures, however, are several years old and the number of pre-payment meters is now likely to be higher.

Andrew Pakes, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Peterborough, has been campaigning on the issue of prepayment meters over the last year.

Research by Citizens Advice has found that 3.2 million people across Great Britain ran out of credit on their prepayment meter last year because they couldn’t afford to top up. 

Peterborough Labour has backed a letter to the BEIS Secretary Grant Shapps, from Ed Miliband, calling for the government to ensure an immediate ban is put in place.

Whilst protections are supposed to be in place to stop vulnerable customers being moved onto prepayments meters, there are serious concerns that not enough is being done by energy companies to identify customers in these circumstances before installing a prepayment meter, and that this is leading to a rise in voluntary self-disconnections.

Labour is calling for an immediate ban while an urgent review takes place of how customers on pre-payment meters can be properly protected, building on leading consumer affairs organisations calls for a long-term review of the treatment of users of prepayment meters.

Labour has already called for an end to the injustice that people on prepayment meters have to pay more for their energy than those on direct debits. The party has called for additional government support to individual households on prepayment meters, to level the playing field on the cost of electricity and gas for households.

Andrew Pakes, Labour & Co-operative Parliamentary Candidate for Peterborough commented:

“It is shameful that forced installation of prepayment meters is cutting off people’s heat and power, including some of the most vulnerable people in our society. 

 “I’ve met families across the city struggling with rising energy costs, something made much more difficult with the charges associated with a pre-payment meter.

“We need immediate action to halt this scourge of blackouts by the back door. We don’t need more tinkering at the edges. That is why Labour is calling for a ban to stop even greater misery this winter, while the government, regulator and energy companies get a grip on this problem, to tackle the hardship millions are facing.”