FAIR PRICING FOR PRE-PAYMENT ENERGY METERS

Early day motion 74, tabled 18 November 2009 by John Austin (Labour). Signed by 149 members.

That this House welcomes Government assurances that, if necessary, legislation would be introduced to outlaw the overcharging of pre-payment meter customers; notes that some energy companies have voluntarily and for the time being equalised pre-payment charges with quarterly billed customers but that over a million households are still paying more for their energy; refutes the claim by Ofgem that it has been successful in its campaign to stop this overcharging; calls on the Government to step in as champion for some of the most vulnerable people on low incomes and introduce legislation to equalise pre-pay charges with those of quarterly billed customers; and supports the proposals in the Equalisation of Tariffs for Gas and Electricity Bill introduced in the last Parliamentary Session.

Signatures by party: Labour 86, Liberal Democrat 39, Conservative 7, Scottish National Party 5, Independent 4, DUP 3, Social Democratic and Labour Party 3, Independent Labour 1, Plaid Cymru 1.