Prepayment meters: when a supplier cannot force one on you

If an energy debt builds up, a supplier can move a household onto a prepayment meter (where you pay before you use energy). Sometimes this is done involuntarily — under a court warrant, or by switching a smart meter to prepayment mode remotely. After the 2023 scandal, the energy regulator Ofgem brought in strict rules, now written into gas and electricity supply licences, so they are binding.

Who must not be forced onto prepayment?

Ofgem set out high-risk groups who must never be moved to a prepayment meter by force. They include households where all occupants are aged 75 or over with no other support (the previous threshold was 85); families with children under 2; anyone who needs a continuous supply for health reasons, including dependence on powered medical equipment; people with severe health conditions, including terminal illness, or who are medically dependent on a warm home (for example emphysema, chronic bronchitis or sickle cell disease); and homes where no one can top up the meter because of physical or mental incapacity.

ADV · A003We build websites for tradespeople and sole traders — £219Customers see your work and prices and message you straight away. Ready in 3 days, £219 instead of £438.Advertise here

What must a supplier do before installing?

Before any forced installation, a supplier must make at least 10 attempts to contact the customer and carry out a site welfare visit. The supplier's representative must wear an audio or body camera at all warrant installations and welfare visits, to check for vulnerability on site. All footage must be kept and available for audit.

When did this take effect?

Ofgem announced the rules on 13 September 2023; they took effect on 8 November 2023 after a mandatory 56-day notice period. The conditions were moved into the standard gas and electricity supply licences, so every supplier must follow them.

Why were these rules introduced?

They followed the 2023 scandal, when suppliers installed prepayment meters under court warrants on a large scale, including in vulnerable households. Ofgem first ordered a pause on forced installations, then wrote the protections into supply licences. The body-camera and welfare-visit requirements exist precisely so that an elderly, ill or helpless resident is spotted on the doorstep and not left without heat and power.

What should you do if you fall into debt?

Do not stay silent: contact your supplier and ask for a payment plan — suppliers must offer an affordable arrangement. If you are in a protected group, say so and ask to be added to the Priority Services Register, a free register for extra support. A forced meter should always be a last resort, not a first step.

In short: a forced prepayment meter is tightly restricted. If your home includes someone aged 75 or over, a young child, or a seriously ill person, moving you against your will is not allowed.