A charity helping those struggling with the cost-of-living crisis in South Gloucestershire has urged people who are being forced onto prepayment meters to come forward. Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire wants to get in touch with anyone who has been - or is set to be - moved to a prepaid tariff in light of a national campaign to highlight the problem.
Data from the national Citizens Advice shows more than 3 million people were left with cold and dark homes last year as a result of running out of prepay credit. The national charity estimates 600,000 people were forced onto prepayment meters by their energy suppliers due to debt in 2022 – compared to 380,000 in 2021.
Citizens Advice has also predicted an additional 160,000 people will be forced onto prepayment meters by the end of the winter. The stark findings by Citizens Advice show at least once a week, a household with someone who is disabled or has a long-term condition have been cut off – in breach of regulations.
READ MORE: Mum-of-three forced on to prepayment meter by Ovo after energy bill doubled within a month
In one case the charity found someone who was cut off despite needing electricity for a breathing machine due to a lung condition. In light of the news, Citizens Advice is calling for a total ban on the forced installation of new prepayment meters until additional safeguards are put in place to stop people being cut off.
Energy companies could be the subject of legal action from the regulator Ofgem if an investigation shows they are not taking care of vulnerable households. Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire wants to get in touch with anyone in the area who has had a similar experience in order to offer advice and support.
Emmanuelle Claverie, Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire’s lead supervisor who manages a team of advisers, is concerned there may be more people in the community who are having this problem who have not come forward yet.
She wants to get the word out to let people know they can refuse to be moved to prepayment if they wouldn’t be able to top it up – or due to an illness or disability.
She said: “There are steps your supplier must take before switching you onto a pre-payment meter. We have an energy team who can support clients who have difficulties keeping up their energy payments or are struggling to keep their pre-payment meter topped up.
“One of our clients came to see us because she was struggling to top up her pre-payment meter due to her health conditions. The shop being too far means she is having difficulties topping up online.
“We contacted her supplier on her behalf, explained her situation and got the meters changed to credit meters. A lot of our clients don't think there is anything they can do against prepayment meters, but this is not the case.”
Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire is an independent charity under the umbrella of the national Citizens Advice, offering free, confidential, impartial advice to anyone struggling. Advisers at the charity are currently seeing much higher demand for help in some areas compared to pre-Covid as energy bills and weekly food shopping costs shoot up.
The charity has seen a tenfold increase in the number of people it is referring to foodbanks because they can’t afford to eat compared to 2019 – up from around six a month to 60 per month. There is a greater need for foodbanks among some groups than others - and the charity consistently refers single-parents, disabled people and social tenants more than other cohorts.
Meanwhile, the charity has helped more than five times as many people with energy problems and energy debts since 2019 – up from around eight per month to 44 a month in Dec 2022. They expect this to increase further as we move through the winter months.
Anyone in South Gloucestershire seeking free, independent, impartial and confidential advice from Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire can call 0808 278 7947 or visit: www.southgloscab.org.uk. If you would like to donate to Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire to help it continue its vital work should visit: https://bit.ly/3kG7HyB
READ NEXT:
Castle Park View's affordable housing residents excluded from its 'show-stopping' extras
Health workers in Bristol region face job cuts due to inflation and end of Covid funding
Met Office weather: Warning as 1,000 mile 'Beast from the East' could bring -10C freeze to UK
Loss of bus services will create a ‘massive hole in communities’
Castle Park murder: Tributes paid to stabbing victim who was 'nice man' with 'good heart'
