British Gas Fined for Overcharging Vulnerable Customers on Prepayment Meters

In 2023, an undercover investigation by The Times revealed that debt collection agents working for British Gas were forcibly installing prepayment meters in the homes of vulnerable customers — including elderly people, those with disabilities, and families with young children — often against their will.

Prepayment meters require customers to pay for energy in advance, meaning if they run out of credit, their gas and electricity are cut off. The forced installation of these meters in vulnerable households during one of the worst cost-of-living crises in UK history was described as "inhumane."

The investigation showed debt collectors breaking into homes, sometimes with the assistance of magistrate warrants obtained without adequate checks on whether the household contained vulnerable people. Agents were recorded expressing discomfort with what they were being asked to do.

The scandal led to immediate action by Ofgem, the energy regulator, which imposed a temporary ban on the forced installation of prepayment meters. British Gas and other energy suppliers were required to review all prepayment meter installations and ensure vulnerable customers were protected.

The case became a symbol of the broader cost-of-living crisis in the UK and the way energy companies treated their most vulnerable customers.