More restrictions are being placed on energy companies regarding prepayment meters.
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Well, about time, you’d hope so really, wouldn’t you?
I always thought it was horrible that people on meters got charged more for than those in Direct Debits but I think there was a change to that announced in the Budget?
They put in pre paid meters mostly as a way of collecting debt and a percentage of all the money the people put on them gets taken to pay old debts so they only get fuel for part of the money they put in
I know debts have got to be collected but I’m not sure it’s right
People have no control over it, if they want power, they have to pay off a bit of the debt at the same time, every time they put money on
So if you’ve only got a fiver until the end of the week and your meter runs out, you won’t get a full fivers worth of power 
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Don’t forget the daily standing charge. Around here that averages 57.5p It doesn’t stop accumulating once your payment has run out; no, it keeps adding to the debt!
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It’s no good blaming the customers for not paying their extortionate bills, we should be blaming this and previous governments for not seeing this coming. What did they think was going to happen after they prematurely closed down all the coal fired power stations before alternative power supplies were put in place. Another 10 million residents since 2001 and house building going on in every county…With so many new houses putting a strain on the antiquated utilities It’s a wonder that the roads are not being dug up everywhere and there is a water shortage too…Wait a minute!
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It’s hardly a restriction, there aren’t many over 85s living independently at home and those that are shouldn’t be forced to go out and buy a prepayment card when they have mobility problems and cannot drive. Nobody should have a prepayment meter installed forcibly anyway.
Like OGF points out, we need cheaper energy and to remove VAT on fuel for the retired.
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