Business|May 15, 2026|2 min read

British Gas pays £20m to settle probe into force-fitting of prepayment meters

British Gas has agreed to pay £20m into a redress fund to settle an investigation into the forced fitting of prepayment meters on vulnerable customers, and will also write off up to £70m of energy debt.

#british-gas#prepayment-meters#ofgem#energy-regulator#vulnerable-customers#debt-collectors#redress-fund#energy-debt#consumer-protection

BBC

Contributor

British Gas has committed to contributing £20 million to a redress fund as part of a settlement regarding an inquiry related to the inappropriate installation of prepayment meters for vulnerable customers.

This issue came to light three years ago when it was revealed that debt collectors employed by British Gas had forcibly entered the residences of vulnerable individuals to install prepayment energy meters.

Regulator Ofgem stated that British Gas, which has expressed regret over the incident, will also forgive up to £70 million in outstanding energy debt owed by these vulnerable customers, with a portion of this amount serving as a form of restitution.

Following its investigation, Ofgem has prohibited the practice of installing prepayment meters without consent in households identified as high-risk.

Share this story

Rosewood Hotel Group institutes a global 16-week paid parental leave policy as Asia grapples with falling birth rates

Rosewood Hotel Group has launched a global 16-week fully paid parental leave policy for all employees regardless of gender, positioning itself ahead of statutory minimums across Asia as the region grapples with historically low birth rates.