London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 23, 2025

Energy firms remotely swap homes to prepay meters

Energy firms remotely swap homes to prepay meters

A rising number of households are having their energy smart meters remotely switched to prepayment meters, the energy regulator has said.

Suppliers can use the technology to swap customers onto a payment method that is often more expensive without their permission.

It can leave customers, who need to top up, at risk of running out of energy.

Ofgem said some had been left without power for days or even weeks, and a trade body said "mistakes" were made.

"We won't know until the end of the year how many people were switched to prepayment meters," said Dhara Vyas, the director of Energy UK, which represents thousands of suppliers.


Samantha was switched without notice and left without electricity for a while

Samantha Pierre-Joseph, from North London, only realised her meter had been switched when she noticed the meter display flashing in her kitchen.

Her new provider told Samantha she was in arrears of over £1,600, an amount she disputes because she monitored her usage closely using her smart meter. But suddenly it was switched.

"I literally just came in from shopping and realised I had been switched onto a prepayment meter with no notice," the mother-of-one told the BBC. "It's shocking."


'Disconnection by the backdoor'


Once a smart meter is installed, it is a much simpler process for a supplier to swap the customer into prepay mode at the push of a button, rather than having to apply for a warrant and install a physical box.

Ofgem's rules state that energy companies must speak to customers before moving them on to a prepayment meter, but the regulator said it was concerned this was not always happening.

Suppliers may put customers on prepayment meters if they struggle to keep up with bills, arguing it helps them to control how much and how often they pay for energy.

But Rosi Avis, who heads up the Manchester Branch of Citizens Advice, said remote switching is "disconnection by the backdoor".

"If customers are unaware that they are on a pre-payment meter they might not top up and therefore they are more likely to self-disconnect from their gas or electric," she explained.


Citizens Advice told the BBC that so far in 2022 almost 500 people have been in contact in distress after being forcibly moved onto prepayment - a 158% increase in cases on 2021.

It predicts that 450,000 people could be forced onto a prepayment plan this winter and of those, it expects 180,000 to be made as automatic remote switches via a smart meter.


'I was told by text'


Kelly from south London, who did not want to us to use her last name, was a direct debit customer with EDF when price rises saw her bills more than double from £200 a month to more than £430.

The mother-of-two, who works part-time and receives £320 in Universal Credit per month, quickly found herself about £1,000 in debt.

"I've been calling EDF on and off since January to sort it," she said. "Then I got a letter saying they would change me on to prepayment."

Kelly tried again to talk to her supplier and told the BBC that communication has been poor and notes on her case were not properly updated.

Then, in October, she simply got a text telling her that she was now on a prepayment plan. "I suddenly only had £3 on my electric until payday. I was so unhappy."

EDF told the BBC a switch to a prepayment meter was "a last resort" after extensive attempts to discuss support and agree a resolution with the customer.

A spokesperson added: "In this situation, moving a customer to pay-as-you-go will prevent them from continuing to accrue debt at an uncontrollable rate and prompt the customer to take control of their ongoing energy payments."

More than 152,000 households with smart meters were remotely switched to more expensive prepayment plans for gas or electricity last year, according to data from Ofgem. That is up sharply from 95,000 meters in 2020.

Ofgem added that some 60,000 households had been switched over the past three months alone.

The huge rise in energy prices means it is likely the trend for remote switching will continue.


Why is this allowed and what can you do?


*  Before smart meters existed, energy firms would have to get a warrant to enter your home and physically install a prepayment meter

*  Now, smart meters enable energy firms to switch customers from direct debit payments to a prepayment meter system remotely

*  Ofgem rules state that energy suppliers must have effective checks and balances in place when switching the mode of a smart meter

*  The regulator advises customers with concerns to speak to their supplier. Under Ofgem rules they must offer payment plans you can afford and you can * ask for emergency credit if you use a prepay meter and can't top up

*  Breathing Space, sometimes called the Debt Respite Scheme, is a free government scheme that could give you up to 60 days' space from creditors to set up a debt solution. Step Change debt charity can help you to apply.

*  Citizens Advice offers this guide: Stop your energy supplier moving you to prepayment

Ofgem has written to all suppliers to urgently remind them of their obligations.

"Where they fail to do so, we will take action against them," he said.

The BBC contacted British Gas, Ovo-SSE, Scottish, EDF, Eon-Next, Shell, Octopus, Bulb, Utilita & So Energy. None were willing to share updated figures on 2022 switches. All stressed that any customers in difficulty should speak to their supplier. Shell also added that a third of their customers switched to prepayment asked to do so, because they see it as the best way to help budget and control spending.

An organisation that promotes smart meters, Smart Energy GB, was keen to point out that the technology has benefits. "If you already prepay for your energy, a smart meter offers several advantages over an analogue prepay meter, such as the ability to top up from home," a spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy said: "We expect suppliers to fully comply with their obligations and welcome the steps Ofgem is taking."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×