British Gas owner to pay $27 million after prepay meter probe
Key takeaways
- The practice meant those customers could ultimately get their supply cut off if they did not keep topping up the meters.
- “It is clear that British Gas fell short in its treatment of an unacceptable number of vulnerable customers who had a PPM installed without consent,” Ofgem said in a statement.
- CEO Chris O’Shea said he had apologised to affected customers.
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
Add ARY News on Google AAResize British Gas owner has agreed to pay 20 million pounds ($26.69 million) into a redress fund after investigators found the utility installed prepayment meters in the homes of vulnerable customers without their consent, regulator Ofgem said.
The practice meant those customers could ultimately get their supply cut off if they did not keep topping up the meters. The Times newspaper reported in 2023 the prepay systems had been installed by debt agents working on behalf of British Gas.
“It is clear that British Gas fell short in its treatment of an unacceptable number of vulnerable customers who had a PPM installed without consent,” Ofgem said in a statement.