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Caerphilly Council wants the UK Government to tackle fuel poverty by stopping the automatic switch to prepayment meters.
The Welsh Government has defined fuel poverty as households which spend more than 10% of their income on heating bills.
People using prepayment meters pay for their gas and electricity by topping up their meter. Councillor Carol Andrews said this can lead to people “self-disconnecting”, if they do not have the money to pre-pay.
Cllr Andrews put forward a motion calling on council leader Sean Morgan to write to the UK Government to pass legislation stopping people in fuel debt from being automatically put onto prepayment meters by utility companies.
Fellow Labour councillor Ceri Wright seconded the motion and said pre-payment meters are used by companies to “rip-off the worst-off”.
Ofgem, the UK’s energy regulator, has put in place a temporary ban on pre-payment meters until companies sign-up to the Ofgem Code of Practice. This requires companies to offer emergency credit to those who can’t top-up their meter.
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Prior to this, Citizen’s Advice estimated that 600,000 people were forced to make the switch away from credit meters after racking up debt with their energy supplier in 2022.
At the full council meeting on Tuesday May 23, Plaid Cymru councillor Gary Enright said the Senedd should also be consulted on the issue – this amendment to the motion was supported.
The motion was first presented to the environment and sustainability committee on Tuesday March 21.
At this meeting, Independent councillor Nigel Dix said fuel poverty was a “big issue” but criticised the notice of motion.
Cllr Dix, who also works for housing association Pobl, said: “Writing to the Prime Minister, I don’t know what good that will do but if it makes people feel good about it, that’s what it will do.
“But, back in the real world if any councillor wants to come with me one day and see what goes on, I’m happy to help in that way, so we can solve the problem properly.”
The motion was unanimously supported by councillors.
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