Sylvia Heal

Labour Party | Halesowen and Rowley Regis

MP welcomes pledge to give pre-pay energy customers a fairer deal

Sylvia Heal MP has welcomed the Government’s announcement last week that further action is needed to help vulnerable groups deal with rising energy prices and have pledged that the 5 million customers on pre-payment meters should be given a fairer deal.

On average pre-payment households are twice as likely to be on low incomes as those who pay by direct debit whilst being charged an extra £144 a year more. Energywatch has claimed that companies are "discriminating" against pre-pay customers and estimate they have made £400m in extra revenue from them.

The Government has also recommended that energy suppliers should triple the amount they spend on social tariffs to £150m to help reduce the bills of the poorest customers who suffer from fuel poverty.

Sylvia Heal MP said: “I am really pleased that the Government are committed to tackling the discrimination of pre-pay customers. It is totally unfair that pre-pay customers receive a bad deal especially when they are more likely to be from poorer households.”