FAIR PRICING FOR PRE-PAYMENT ENERGY METERS

That this House welcomes Government assurances that, if necessary, legislation would be introduced to outlaw the overcharging of pre-payment meter customers; notes that some energy companies have voluntarily and for the time being equalised pre-payment charges with quarterly billed customers but that over a million households are still paying more for their energy; refutes the claim by Ofgem that it has been successful in its campaign to stop this overcharging; calls on the Government to step in as champion for some of the most vulnerable people on low incomes and introduce legislation to equalise pre-pay charges with those of quarterly billed customers; and supports the proposals in the Equalisation of Tariffs for Gas and Electricity Bill introduced in the last Parliamentary Session.