Under-fire British Gas will STOP getting court warrants to fit prepayment meters in people’s homes

British Gas has announced it has suspended applying for court warrants to enter customers’ homes and fit prepayment meters until at least the end of winter following reports that they sent debt collectors to ‘break into homes’ and force meters on ‘vulnerable’ customers.

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.

Customers must then top up to continue receiving gas supplies, and if they fail to do so they risk their heating being cut off.

Warrants forcing customers into such agreements should only be used in exceptional circumstances and never be expected of vulnerable customers, energy regulator Ofgem states. 

But an investigation by The Times allegedly determined the practice is happening more than ever. The newspaper reported that British Gas sends debt collectors to ‘break into’ people’s homes and ‘force-fit’ pay-as-you-go meters – even when customers are known to have ‘extreme vulnerabilities’.

British Gas has announced it has suspended applying for court warrants to enter customers’ homes and fit prepayment meters following reports they sent debt collectors to ‘break into homes’ and force meters on ‘vulnerable’ customers

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

An undercover reporter for the newspaper worked for debt collecting contractor Arvato Financial Solutions and accompanied agents who used court warrants to gain entry into customers’ homes to force-fit these meters.

Some of the ‘vulnerable’ customers the Times reporter came across while working at Arvato Financial Solutions included a single father with three young children and a mother with a four-week-old baby whose bills have risen amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Other customers who were forcibly fitted with prepayment meters reportedly include a woman battling ‘severe mental health bipolar’, a woman who ‘suffers with mobility problems’ and a mother whose daughter is ‘disabled’ and requires an electric wheelchair.

Owner of British Gas, Centrica, announced it was suspending ‘all warrant activity’ after the newspaper’s article was published.

The parent company will also launch an investigation into the claims.

‘Protecting vulnerable customers is an absolute priority and we have clear processes and policies to ensure we manage customer debt carefully and safely,’ Centrica chief executive officer Chris O’Shea said in a statement provided to MailOnline today.

‘The allegations around our third-party contractor Arvato are unacceptable and we immediately suspended their warrant activity.

‘Having recently reviewed our internal processes to support our prepayment customers as well as creating a new £10 million fund to support those prepayment customers who need help the most, I am extremely disappointed that this has occurred.

‘As a result, on Wednesday morning, we took a further decision to suspend all our prepayment warrant activity at least until the end of the winter.

‘More broadly, there are clearly significant challenges around affordability and unfortunately, we don’t see that changing anytime soon.

‘We need to strike a balance between managing spiralling bad debt and being aware that there are those who refuse to pay and those who cannot pay. We think Government, industry and the regulator need to come together to agree a long-term plan to address this and ultimately create an energy market that is sustainable.’

Energy regulator Ofgem has also announced it will launch an investigation.

A spokesperson said: ‘These are extremely serious allegations from The Times which we will investigate urgently with British Gas and we won’t hesitate to take firm enforcement action.

‘It is unacceptable for any supplier to impose forced installations on vulnerable customers struggling to pay their bills before all other options have been exhausted and without carrying out thorough checks to ensure it is safe and practicable to do so.

‘We recently announced a major market-wide review investigating the rapid growth in prepayment meter installations and potential breaches of licences driving it. We are clear that suppliers must work hard to look after their customers at this time, especially those who are vulnerable, and the energy crisis must not be an excuse for unacceptable behaviour towards any customer – particularly those in vulnerable circumstances.’

MailOnline has approached Arvato Financial Solutions and Ofgem for comment.