British Gas pays £20m over prepayment meter force-fitting scandal

35 minutes ago

Emer Moreau and

Michael Race, Business reporters

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Debt agents working for British Gas broke into the homes of vulnerable customers to fit prepayment energy meters.

British Gas has agreed to pay £20m into a redress fund and compensate customers to settle an investigation by the regulator into the forced fitting of prepayment meters.

Three years ago it emerged that debt agents working for British Gas had broken into the homes of vulnerable customers to fit prepayment energy meters.

The regulator Ofgem said British Gas, which has apologised for the scandal, would also write off up to £70m of vulnerable customers' energy debt, some of which could be used as compensation.

Ofgem investigated and subsequently banned the practice of fitting prepayment meters without customers' permission in high-risk households.

In 2023, the Times revealed how agents working for Arvato Financial Solutions, on behalf of British Gas,…