A Tory minister has admitted his own son is on a pre-payment energy meter - and claims it is 'very convenient for him'.
Grant Shapps, the business secretary, has given energy firms until Tuesday to come up with a compensation plan for customers whose homes they "invaded" to forcibly install pre-pay meters.
People using pre-pay meters to pay for their energy can end up paying more than customers on Direct Debit, and supply is suspended if the meter is not fed.
But while he said forcing customers onto such plans was "disgraceful" speaking on Sky News, he said he wouldn't ban them totally because they "work" for some people - including his own son.
"The reason you don't want want a total ban, to give you an example is my son - 21, lives in a flat in London which he shares."
He added: "It's actually very convenient for them to have a pre-payment meter. There are situations where you actually want to have that kind of flexibility.
"So I don't think we should ban all pre-payment meters."
Last night, Labour's Shadow Climate Secretary Ed Miliband branded Mr Shapps "do-nothing" over his response to the scandal.
He said: “Grant Shapps is the do-nothing Business Secretary, who has sat on his hands in the face of the scandal of forced installation of prepayment meters, and simultaneously waves through energy companies making record profits at the expense of the British people.
“Thousands more families have had warrants issued for the forced installation of prepayment meters since Grant Shapps refused to act weeks ago."
He added: “Now, even after the scandal at British Gas and the millions disconnected by the back door, he still won’t adopt Labour ’s call for a total and ongoing ban on the forced installation of prepayment meters until there is wholesale reform of a discredited, rotten and callous system.
“All the while, the Government refuses a proper windfall tax and is willing to let energy companies rake in record profits at the expense of the British people, and is about to allow a 40% rise in average household bills in April.
“Only Labour can fix our broken energy system- ending the prepayment meter scandal, stopping bills going up this April with a proper windfall tax and taking the long term action we need to make Britain a clean energy superpower.”
