The government will soon unveil measures to tackle thousands of forced installations of prepayment meters for customers struggling to pay their energy bills.

Speaking in the Housing of Commons, the Business Secretary said: “We have instructed our officials to draw up measures that could be helpful. We have a letter to go to Ofgem once we have had this advice as well.

“I am very concerned about the idea of this happening through a sort of enforced process – we are on the public side and we are trying to fix it.”

Last week, a report from Citizens Advice suggested that hundreds of thousands of customers were being forcibly moved onto prepayment meters.

When asked whether the government was considering introducing a moratorium on the forced installation of prepayment meters, Grant Shapps replied: “It is a matter of considerable concern that anybody should be removed from their power or heating.

“We have asked the authorities not to go down that line and asked Ofgem to do the same. Officials are actively working on this issue with a letter ready to go to Ofgem. We do not want to see people cut off during this cold weather.”

In case you missed it, read what an EDF customer told ELN about her family’s ‘forced’ switch to a prepayment meter.