Guides › Energy and Water Bills › Energy Supplier Wants to Force a Prepayment Meter
Energy Supplier Wants to Force A Prepayment Meter
A supplier can install a prepayment meter without your permission only if you are building up energy debt and other recovery has failed. Ofgem calls it a last resort. The supplier must try to agree another repayment plan, make at least 10 contact attempts, and visit your home. Installation must not happen for people who are terminally ill, depend on powered medical equipment, are all 75 or over, or live with a child under 2.
At A Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
What Suppliers Must Do
Steps
The supplier must make reasonable efforts to agree another repayment arrangement, make at least 10 contact attempts using different methods and visit the home to check a prepayment meter is safe and suitable. Before installation it must explain the reasons, give the date and what it involves, and give a way to contact it if circumstances change. The representative should wear an audio recording device or body camera. It must give £30 credit once the meter is installed or switched. source
Who Is Protected
Installation must not happen where anyone in the home has a terminal illness or severe health condition, depends on a continuous supply due to a medical condition or powered equipment, everyone is 75 or over with no one else able to support them, a child under 2 lives there, no one can top up due to a health condition, or temporary circumstances such as pregnancy or bereavement make it unsafe or unsuitable. source
If You Think They Got It Wrong
Complaint Route
Contact the supplier as soon as possible, ask for the reasons and checks, complain if unsatisfied, and if still unhappy contact the Energy Ombudsman. Compensation may be possible if you were forced onto a prepayment meter between 1 January 2022 and 21 January 2023 and the supplier did not follow the rules; Citizens Advice can check eligibility. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- 10 contactsMinimum attempts before installationCalls, letters or texts
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
Respond to the supplier and offer a repayment plan you can afford.
Step 2 of 5
Tell them straight away if anyone in the home is protected, with evidence.
Step 3 of 5
Ask for their reasons in writing.
Step 4 of 5
Complain, then go to the Energy Ombudsman if unresolved.
Step 5 of 5
Get free debt advice from Citizens Advice or MoneyHelper.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
Your Energy Supplier
Complain first, in writing.
Energy Ombudsman
If your supplier does not put it right.
Citizens Advice
Free advice and the consumer helpline.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
Ofgem says involuntary installation is a last resort.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different housing rules.
Want Help?
If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.
Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 14 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- ofgem.gov.uk/your-energy-supply/how-manage-your-energy-supply/installing-prepayment-meter-without-your-permission Checked 14 October 2026
- energy-ombudsman.org.uk Checked 8 October 2026
- citizensadvice.org.uk Checked 8 October 2026