Prepayment meters: New code of practice for energy suppliers is not enough. Government must act – Scotsman comment

A new code of practice for energy suppliers that means they will no longer forcibly install prepayment meters in the homes of people over the age of 85 is to be welcomed.

Coming on top of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s recent announcement that meters will not charge a higher premium – a move estimated to save more than four million households an average of £45 a year – it represents a recognition that vulnerable people struggling to pay their bills should not find themselves without hot water, heating and the means to cook food.

The new code, announced by energy watchdog Ofgem, comes after the death of Barbara Bolton, 87, of Bury, from pneumonia brought on by hypothermia in December. She had not put on the heating for fear of high bills and was found by medics to have a body temperature of just 28C – compared to the normal 37C – before she passed away in hospital.

The obvious problem with the code is its definition of vulnerable. As several charities pointed out, the changes will still mean many pensioners, disabled people, and poor families with young children could be forced onto prepayment meters – an efficient way to cut people off when the money runs out.

It is one thing to impose such Draconian measures on those who are trying to cheat the system and are essentially thieves. It is quite another to force people to live in conditions that can lead to serious health problems because they are poor. Fuel poverty is a killer, and the first duty of any government is to protect the lives of its citizens. More must be done.