NATIONAL HOUSING FEDERATION AND PREPAYMENT METER CUSTOMERS

That this House welcomes Government assurances that, if necessary, legislation would be introduced to outlaw the overcharging of prepayment meter customers; notes that E.ON, Scottish Power and npower have equalised charges which they make to their prepayment meter customers with those who pay by quarterly bill, but that British Gas, EDF and Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) continue to charge their prepay customers more; further notes that the National Housing Federation calculates that British Gas, EDF and SSE will overcharge their 1.7 million prepay customers by £8.6 million every month over the next year, with British Gas charging its prepayment customers £77 more over 2009 than those on quarterly bills, SSE charging £38 more and EDF charging £19 more; refutes the claim by Ofgem that it has been successful in its campaign to stop this overcharging; congratulates the National Housing Federation on championing the cause of some of the most vulnerable people on low incomes; and believes it is time for the Government to introduce legislation to equalise prepay bills with those charged to people on a quarterly basis.