British Gas profits: Energy companies must pay back the 'Poverty Premium'
EMBARGO: Immediate Release
The Liberal Democrats are reiterating their calls on the Government to ensure energy companies pay back the ‘Poverty Premium’ paid by the tens of thousands who had a prepayment meter forcibly installed this winter in compensation.
Today, we saw Centrica who own British Gas make profits of £3.3bn for 2022, more than triple the £948m it made the year before. This comes after the news that it was found debt agents for British Gas had broken into vulnerable people's homes to fit “more expensive prepayment” meters.
Recently in parliament Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse challenged the Energy Minister, Graham Stuart, to apologise and ensure that at the very least, extra money paid by those forced onto prepayment meters this Winter is returned to them in compensation. The Minister refused to make these commitments.
The Conservative Government blocked Wera Hobhouse’s Bill, which she tabled in December, which would have prohibited the forcible installation of prepayment meters this Winter.
Liberal Democrat Climate and Energy Spokesperson and MP for Bath, Wera Hobhouse said:
“Today we have seen huge profits from British Gas while people across the country struggle to keep their heating on.
“The government must ban the forced installation of prepayment meters until proper safeguards are put in place.
"Energy companies should repay at least the 'Poverty Premium' they've charged the thousands of households who were forced to have a prepayment meter installed this winter in compensation.
“The Conservatives blocked my Bill which would have helped thousands of vulnerable people up and down the country from this abhorrent scheme. Ministers must urgently ensure energy companies repay those affected now.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
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Text of the question
On the 7th of December I put down my Private Members Bill to ban the installation of prepayment meters this winter. The Government ignored me. Since then and Ofgem stepping in, thousands of people will have been put through the misery of a prepayment meter warrant being taken out against them. Will the Government now apologise and ensure energy companies pay back the ‘poverty premium’ so many vulnerable people have been forced to pay this winter?
- British Gas profits reported here.
