Congratulations to British Gas for stopping unfair debt

11.48.53am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 8th Dec 2006

Local MP Dr Evan Harris, who joined a parliamentary campaigned to stop energy companies backdating price rises for token prepayment meter users, often leaving them with huge unexpected debts, has welcomed the climb-down by British Gas announced this week.

Households on low incomes often use prepayment meters to help them budget their spending on gas. When gas prices change, energy companies can be slow to reset these prepayment meters meaning that, when they are finally reset, these households are hit with not just an increase in their future gas bills but debt from the period of time when they have been underpaying.

"Households using prepayment meters are often the very poorest so this policy of backdating price rises and hitting them with unexpected debt strikes them very hard."

Dr Harris has joined many MPs in signing an Early Day Motion calling for energy companies to stop this practice:

"I applaud British Gas for responding to our calls to cease this unfair practice and hope that Powergen, Npower and Scottish Power will follow their lead. I will be keeping up the pressure until they do so."