ENERGY PRICES FOR THE POOR

That this House expresses concern that the millions of customers using prepayment meters to pay for their energy use are paying an average of £195 per year more than those who have signed up for suppliers' online tariffs, and that in some parts of Britain this can mean as much as £304 under npower tariffs, which is more than the higher level of the winter fuel payment; notes that prepayment meter users are three times more likely to be fuel poor, one-third of households do not have internet access at home whilst one in 11 do not have a bank account and are unable to take advantage of cheaper online deals; further notes that many prepayment customers are prevented from switching supplier because they have a debt; and welcomes the campaign from consumer watchdog Energywatch to address this exploitation of the poorest in society.