Energy firms forcibly installed more than 94,000 prepayment meters in ... trends now
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More than 94,000 prepayment meters were last year forcibly installed in homes without customer consent, new figures show.
More than 7,500 were fitted every month, according to data supplied by firms to Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps.
Among Britain's biggest energy firms, around 70 per cent of these forced installations were carried out by British Gas, Scottish Power and OVO Energy.
The trio fitted a total of 66,187 devices under warrant, with Scottish Power 'the worst offender' in relation to its customer base by forcing more than 24,300 meters into its customers' homes.
Mr Shapps said: 'Today's figures give a clear and horrifying picture of just how widespread the forced installation of prepayment meters had become, with last year seeing an average of over 7,500 force-fitted a month.
Energy companies can obtain court warrants which give them legal rights to enter people's homes and fit prepayment meters if customers have not paid their bills (stock picture)
'Prepayment meters are right for some people, so I do not want to ban them outright, but I do have concerns that companies have not been treating their customers fairly, over an already difficult winter during which the Government has tried to help families by paying
