Remove prepayment meters that were wrongly force fitted, Ofgem tells suppliers

Watchdog says energy firms should pay compensation before end of review into practice which charities say hits vulnerable most

Ofgem has told energy suppliers to rip out prepayment meters which have been wrongly forcibly fitted and pay compensation now, rather than wait for the outcome of its review.

The watchdog is examining the prepayment meter market after it emerged that suppliers were routinely fitting thousands of meters to recover debts by using court warrants to gain entry into people’s homes, including those of vulnerable people.