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Energy supplier Ovo pauses forced prepayment meter installations until end of next week

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dailyrecord.co.uk

Energy supplier Ovo has paused forced prepayment meter installations over Christmas to help customers through the cost of living crisis.

The move will mean people who have fallen into debt on a credit meter and face having their supplier install a pay as you go replacement will have some respite over the Christmas period.Ovo said the measure is already in effect and will remain in place until Saturday, December 31.

It comes as campaigners have been calling for an immediate ban on compulsory prepayment meter installations, which are made under court warrants.Prepayment meters require regular top-ups, which can be done online using a debit or credit card or by adding store-bought credit to a smart key or card.

Prepayment meters charge for gas and electricity usage at a higher rate, which could mean customers who are already in debt may struggle to keep them regularly topped up.This has prompted concerns about vulnerable people self-disconnecting - going off supply in their homes due to lack of credit over winter, especially amid the energy crisis.In a statement on Thursday, an Ovo spokesperson said: “To support our customers over the Christmas period we have paused all mode switching to ensure that we take every reasonable step to contact and support our customers.”In a letter to campaigners seen by the PA news agency, Raman Bhatia, Ovo Energy’s chief executive, wrote that pausing Prepayment meter transfers is the latest in a series of measures it has introduced to help customers this year, including a debt recovery holiday for pay as you go customers until at least March 2023.Mr Bhatia wrote: “I would like to reassure you that we understand the critical role and responsibility that we have in supporting and protecting

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