Call for Fairer Deal on Engery

Parkway Green and Willow Park Housing Trusts have joined forces to back a campaign which aims to stop energy firms overcharging their poorest customers.

Nigel Wilson Chief Executive of Parkway Green and Joe Doherty, Chief Executive of Willow Park are working with MP Paul Goggins to raise the issue of prepayment tariffs directly with Energy Minister, Malcolm Wicks.

Prepayment meter customers can pay up to £300 more than households who can

access the best deals online, despite being among the energy companies poorest customers.

They can also pay up to £90 more for their gas and electricity than quarterly billed customers.

The Government acknowledged the plight of Britain’s five million prepayment meter customers in the Budget when he called on energy suppliers to give them a ‘fairer deal’.

But the firms have repeatedly ignored warnings from ministers to lower their prepayment charges – prompting the two Wythenshawe based Housing Trusts to approach Paul Goggins MP to press the government into taking action.

Hundreds of other housing associations across the country also wrote to their local MPs in an attempt to turn the heat up on the suppliers.

Research carried out by the National Housing Federation last month found 14% of gas pre-payment meter customers and 9% of electricity pre-payment meters, had ‘self disconnected’ over the last year because they could not afford to top up their meter.