Former prime minister Gordon Brown
(Picture: PA Archive)Gordon Brown has called upon the chief of the energy regulator to stand down over the scandal of forced installation of pre-payment meters.
Mr Brown said the CEO of energy regulator Ofgem, Jonathan Brearley, should resign over “failing” to protect “impoverished customers” from having their homes broken into by utility companies and their debt collection agents.
On Monday, magistrates in England and Wales were told to stop applications for energy companies to enter homes amid concerns courts were rubber stamping warrants without scrutinising whether customers were vulnerable or not.
Writing for the Independent, the former Labour Prime Minister said: “At this time of reshuffles, the Ofgem regulator should consider his position for failing on his responsibilities to energy customers subject to the forced installation of prepayment meters.”
Mr Brown added: “He and, the now restructured Energy Department, should immediately explain why instead of being on the side of the public, they have failed dismally to properly monitor and expose utility companies and their debt agents who, in the middle of the worst cost of living crisis for fifty years, have been breaking into the homes of impoverished customers”.
The intervention comes after a report in the Times newspaper that British Gas subcontractors were breaking into the homes of customers, some of whom were disabled, to fit the meters.
Mr Brown also took aim at the Government, saying the Department for Work and Pensions should drop “punitive” measures such as the bedroom tax and benefit cap.
“Ministers are leaving families unable to cover the costs of their weekly food bill, without resorting to borrowing wherever they can find cash,” he said.
“The welfare state safety net is now full of holes – and instead of being the last line of defence for people in need, our own social security ministry is pushing families into ever more desperate measures.”
According to Citizens Advice, some 600,000 people were forced onto a prepayment meter because they couldn’t afford their energy bills in 2022.
An Ofgem spokesperson said: “The allegations against British Gas are shocking. Ofgem is focused on protecting vulnerable customers and that’s why we acted swiftly to ask all suppliers to pause forced installations of prepayment meters whilst we conduct a deeper review into the issues.
“We have also launched a formal investigation into British Gas, and we have banned them from installing any more PPMs by force until British Gas’s board can assure us that they can protect vulnerable customers.”
