Lights Out: What Forced Prepay Meters Really Cost

A new £74 million compensation package from Ofgem has put the spotlight on how energy suppliers treated people in debt. But at Debt Free Advice, we’ve been supporting those affected long before this became a headline.

In the past two years, our coalition has supported 24,500 people across London, helping unlock over £36.5 million in financial gains - from unclaimed benefits to breathing space and debt write-offs. Behind those numbers is a starker picture: debt levels are rising fast, and energy arrears are now a feature in more and more of the cases we see. The average total debt our clients hold has risen to over £16,000.

It’s increasingly common for people to reach us not because of a bill - but because the electricity has cut out and they don’t know why. We’ve heard from people who’ve found out mid-shift, while trying to cook for their kids, or after coming home from a hospital appointment. In many cases, they’d been switched to a prepay meter without their knowledge, consent, or any attempt to check if it was safe.

“Forced prepay meters became the norm, not the exception. We’ve supported people who didn’t even know their meter had been switched until the lights went out - and that’s just not good enough. Some only realised when they couldn’t boil a kettle or turn the heating on.

The average debt we’re dealing with now is over £16,000, and energy arrears are a growing part of that. Ofgem’s £74 million payout is a step forward, but the damage is real, and the trust is broken.

At Debt Free Advice, we’ve been helping people deal with the consequences - but it shouldn’t be left to charities to pick up the pieces.

We need proper safeguards in place now. No one should be forced into the dark just because they’re behind on a bill.