SOLIHULL MP IN CALL FOR END TO BACK CHARGING ON ELECTRICITY TOKEN METERS

1.07.53pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 9th Jan 2007

Solihull MP, Lorely Burt has signed up to an all-party campaign in parliament backing calls from Energywatch and Citizens Advice to end electricity token meter back charging which is a particular problem in Solihull, where two of the offending suppliers has a legacy consumer base.

MPs have joined the campaign to bring about an end to the practice of energy suppliers back dating price rises for those on pre payment meters, which come about because of suppliers' failure to manually recalibrate old fashioned token meters when there is a price rise.

Lorely Burt said:

"Back charging is a problem for between 100 - 300,000 low income consumers in the West Midlands as a whole, who face over night price shocks when price rises are back dated and a sizeable debt through no fault of their own.

"Citizens Advice have been made aware of one case where a consumer incurred an automatic debt of £823 because his supplier had not recalibrated his meter for 3 years.

"Three main energy suppliers - EDF Energy, SSE and now British Gas - do not back charge their consumers, pushing them into debt. British Gas announced on 1st December that it was abandoning the practice after lobbying from Energywatch and Citizens Advice.

"However, Npower, Powergen and Scottish Power/MANWEB all still back charge, meaning pre payment meter consumers face overnight price shocks when their price rises are added to their meter. I want to see these suppliers follow the example set by the others and end this unfair practice now.

Mrs Burt has signed and early day motion calling on the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets to use its licences review to eliminate the practice of token meter back charging altogether.