Which? published a press statement on 31 October 2022 warning that "hundreds of thousands of prepayment meter customers may not receive much-needed government support"1. The consumer body said energy firms must ensure customers on prepayment meters can access the support, and called on them to act1.
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said the problem was particularly serious during the cost of living crisis, and that prepayment customers are "more likely to be vulnerable and on lower incomes"1. The statement said suppliers should prioritise these customers in their smart meter roll-outs where appropriate, so that financial support can be delivered automatically1.
"Energy firms must ensure that customers on prepayment meters - who are more likely to be vulnerable and on lower incomes - are able to access government support and prioritise them in their smart meter roll-outs where appropriate, so that financial support can be delivered automatically."
The statement set out the routes by which the discount can reach a prepayment customer, and said the discount arrives from the first week of each month1. Which? also said customers who have not received a voucher, or who are unsure how to redeem one, should contact their supplier to check the contact details held1. The statement did not name individual suppliers, give a figure for the number of customers affected, or set out a deadline for firms to act1.
Which? said it had recently launched a campaign calling on businesses in essential sectors, including supermarkets, telecoms and energy, to do more to help customers through the cost of living crisis1. Its specific asks of energy firms were that prepayment customers be able to access government support and be prioritised in smart meter roll-outs where appropriate1.
Why it matters for households
Prepayment customers pay for energy before they use it, so support that arrives as a voucher or a top-up credit depends on the household receiving it and redeeming it. Where support is delivered automatically, through a smart meter, that step disappears. Which? describes prepayment customers as more likely to be vulnerable and on lower incomes, which is the group least able to absorb a missed payment1.
For a household's energy independence, the practical point is the route the money takes. A voucher that is not received, or not redeemed, leaves the account short even though the support exists. The statement points to supplier contact details as the thing to check, and to smart meters as the mechanism that removes the manual step1. The wider context of the price cap and the support schemes sits alongside the rules on prepayment meters and vulnerable customers.
What happens next
Which? has called on energy firms to ensure prepayment customers can access government support and to prioritise them in smart meter roll-outs where appropriate1. No deadline or further timetable is given in the statement, and no response from suppliers or from government has been reported1.