Involuntary prepayment meter energy supplier Code of Practice
Guidance
Publication date
Industry sector
Supply and Retail Market
Rules for energy suppliers about installing prepayment meters without permission when the customer has not paid their energy bill.
The conditions set out in the Code have been moved into the standard gas and electricity licences. All energy suppliers will have to follow them.
The Code sets out how suppliers should deal with a customer when considering whether to install an involuntary prepayment meter (PPM). This means that a prepayment meter can be installed with a warrant, or a smart meter switched to prepayment meter mode, to get back debt owed to them without consent from the customer. All suppliers have signed up to this Code.
Earlier this year we asked that involuntary installations related to unpaid energy use be paused. This was because of our concerns about the behaviour of suppliers installing them in households.