PREPAYMENT METERS

Early day motion 236, tabled 2 July 2015 by Lord Field of Birkenhead (Labour). Signed by 113 members.

That this House notes the disproportionate costs incurred mainly by poorer households who pay for their gas and electricity using a prepayment meter; has concerns about the adverse impact of these costs on such households' ability to buy and cook food; acknowledges examples of good practice by individual energy suppliers to address this issue; and calls on Ofgem and energy suppliers to initiate a New Deal on Prepayment Meters, under which each supplier proceeds as soon as possible with Smart Pay As You Go Meters for their poorest customers, publishes the additional costs incurred on supplying and maintaining each prepayment meter, abolishes fees for the installation and termination of a prepayment meter, provides two-week credit tokens to households relying on food parcels and who cannot afford to top up their prepayment meter, and offers rebates to prepayment customers caught out by the standing charge on their meter over the summer months.

Signatures by party: Labour 59, Scottish National Party 32, Conservative 11, DUP 4, Labour/Co-operative 3, Plaid Cymru 2, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2.