Seven out of ten Brits think pre-pay charges should be scrapped
Published on : 02/11/2009
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Seven out of ten Brits think that energy firms should stop charging customers more for using pre-pay meters, according to a survey by the National Housing Federation (NHF).
People who use pre-pay meters to pay for their gas and electricity are charged on average £100 more than those who pay online or by direct debit.
The survey, conducted by YouGov on behalf of the NHF, found that 69 per cent of people thought energy companies should pay for the maintenance of pre-pay meters out of their own profits rather than charging customers extra.
David Orr, NFH chief, said: "An overwhelming majority of the British public clearly believe these rip off prices are totally unjustified and want to see them scrapped."
There are around 1.5 million people in the UK using pre-pay meters and most have an average household income of just £13,500. That is less than half the national average, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Four out of the big six energy firms have already scrapped the extra charges for pre-pay meters showing it pays to shop around for the best energy prices.
