Connect » Policy and government » The poor pay more: Winter 2016/17 update
Published in December 2015, The poor pay more: Prepayment meters (PPM) and self-disconnection revealed the distressingly high scale of self-disconnection taking place. There have been positive developments in energy policy and energy suppliers’ practices over 2016 and into 2017, yet this new data from a follow-up survey shows that self-disconnection remains a pressing issue, affecting one in two (53%) PPM users who are in financial difficulty.
This update aims to help inform discussions that continue to take place across the energy industry, providing an update from a follow-up survey of over 900 clients conducted over Autumn 2016. The briefing also explores the level of digital exclusion amongst prepayment customers, and raises concerns about the implications of this in the context of the increasing digital demands on energy consumers.
‘There were quite a few times when I couldn’t put the gas on in the winter. We sat in jumpers and blankets with no heating or hot water. One time, my lass needed the toilet and she told me the water in the toilet was frozen!’
Christine, CAP Debt Help client
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