Prepay meter campaign scores major win

The National Housing federation (NHF) has scored a major win in its campaign against “prepayment meter rip off” after British Gas announced it will no longer charge a premium to prepay meter users.

The announcement means that following the long-running campaign by the NHF, supported by its members, each of the big energy firms has equalised the charges they make to prepay meter users with customers on quarterly bills.

It estimates that the campaign has saved prepayment meter customers at least £150 million since it began in 2007. According to research for the NHF, the average income for a household with a prepayment meter is £16,000.

NHF chief executive David Orr said: "The efforts of the Federation, housing associations and residents for a fairer deal for prepayment meter customers have paid off. [It] is an incredible testament to what can be achieved when we all pull together. This is a great day for social justice and means that almost one million people, many of whom are on lower incomes, will now find it easier to pay their energy bills and heat their homes."