Prepay meter installation fees should be capped

[Michael Browne]

Consumers who are forced to have prepayment energy meters put in should face a maximum installation fee of £150, the regulator has proposed.

 

Currently such energy users - already the most vulnerable to debt - face a charge of up to £900, said Ofgem.

 

As many as 4.5 million people use prepayment meters for electricity, while 3.5 million use them for gas.

 

Ofgem is suggesting that the maximum fee should be between £100 and £150.

 

For particularly vulnerable consumers, such as those in financial hardship or those with health issues, it says there should be no charge at all.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37349013

 

Ofgem is now inviting comments and responses to its plans before it finalises them in Novembe and. has published a series of proposals