Vulnerable people could still have prepayment meters forcibly installed in their homes under new rules announced by firms and the energy regulator.
Ofgem announced on Tuesday morning that all UK household energy suppliers have agreed to a ban on forcibly installing prepayment meters in the homes of people over the age of 85.
But the new rules are voluntary and could still see people with Alzheimer's disease and mothers of new-born babies having the meters fitted against their will.
Citizens Advice Scotland said the change "doesn’t go nearly far enough" and called for a permanent ban on forced installations of prepayment meters.
The guidelines mean energy suppliers and their contractors must make at least 10 attempts to contact a customer and carry out a site welfare visit before a Prepayment meter can be installed.
Suppliers will also need to avoid forced installations where a “continuous supply” of energy is needed for health reasons, such as for the terminally ill, as well as for people over 85 years of age.
Energy firms will be required to make representatives fitting them wear body cameras or audio equipment.
Citizens Advice Scotland Social Justice spokesperson Stephanie Millar said too many people will still have prepayment meters forced upon them.
She said: “People were horrified to see stories of Prepayment meters being forcibly installed last year, so any action on this from Ofgem is welcome. However this voluntary code of practice doesn’t go nearly far enough.
“The threshold which suppliers agree to not install meters is too high – for example households with kids under two would still be at risk of forced installations under this code.
“For some PPM customers, energy is a luxury they can only afford in the first week or two of the month, and they then go without until the next payday.
“That’s unsustainable and unacceptable – but it’s an inescapable reality for many just now, and more people will be exposed to that risk without sufficient protections.
“We need a permanent ban on mandatory Prepayment meters, whether that is physically installing them in people’s homes or remote switching a smart meter.
“This is all reflective of a broken system, where people find themselves in debt because costs are too high and incomes are too low. That’s why we need to see a social tariff in the energy sector.”
The new rules are a voluntary code of practice for suppliers and the regulator said it will consult on whether the voluntary code of practice can be made legally binding ahead of the next winter.
Suppliers will also now need to place £30 worth of credit on any meter they install with a warrant.
Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley said: “Ofgem’s new voluntary code of practice is a minimum standard that clearly sets out steps all suppliers must take before moving to a Prepayment meter.
“If and when involuntary Prepayment meters are used, it must be as a last resort, and customers in vulnerable situations will be given the extra care and consideration they deserve, over and above the rules already in place, by suppliers – something that has clearly not always been happening.”
Energy Secretary Grant Shapps welcomed the announcement and called on Ofgem and suppliers to “put these words into action, so struggling families never again face such mistreatment”.
Scottish Labour shadow energy secretary Sarah Boyack said: "These new rule changes are a half-baked attempt to revise what at its core is an incredibly harmful practice.
"In a time when energy bills are soaring, nobody should have to deal with the stress and anxiety caused by prepayment meters.
"These changes still leave some of our most vulnerable open to exploitation from energy giants. That is simply unacceptable and the UK Government must do more to protect them."
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