New warrants given to force-fit prepayment meters

Warrants have been granted to allow the forcible fitting of prepayment meters for the first time in months following a scandal over the practice.

A district judge has given Scottish Power permission to enter homes to fit meters after bills were unpaid.

But nothing will happen until approval has been given by energy regulator Ofgem. No supplier has yet satisfied all the criteria required.

Fitting was halted after agents broke into the homes of vulnerable people.

An investigation by The Times, exposing the actions of agents for British Gas, led to a public outcry.

Since February, no forced fittings of meters have taken place, and the regulator has drawn up a code of conduct that sets out what suppliers are required to do.

Some 130 applications were made by Scottish Power at Berkshire Magistrates Court, sitting in Reading, on Thursday.

The court heard details of a selection of cases in which customers had not paid energy bills, often having built up to more than £2,000 for gas and the same for electricity.

Representatives, speaking on behalf of Scottish Power, explained how numerous attempts were made to contact these customers by letter, email, text and by visiting the property.

District Judge Samuel Goozee granted most, but not all, of the applications for a warrant to install meters.

However, in each case, Scottish Power vowed not to fit a meter if there was evidence when they entered the home that there was a high vulnerability risk in the household.

In each case, £30 would be credited to the prepayment meter when it was fitted.

No fittings can take place until approval has been given by the regulator in line with a certain set of conditions.

An Ofgem spokesman told the BBC: "Ofgem put a set of clear conditions in place, which suppliers must meet before they can restart the involuntary installation of prepayment meters. To date, no supplier has met those conditions and until they do no warrants to install a meter should be executed.

"We are aware that courts are running pilot schemes to test the application process for warrants. However, our expectation of suppliers is clear."

Separately, suppliers must prove to courts hearing warrant applications that they can keep to a mandatory code of conduct, set by Ofgem, which states that suppliers must have to make at least 10 attempts to contact a customer and conduct a "site welfare visit".

Meters should not be fitted:

The lead fitter would also have to wear body cameras or audio equipment.

Campaigners want a total ban on the force-fitting of prepayment meters. Such a ban would need to be introduced by government ministers.