Suppliers told to remove prepayment meters that were wrongly force-fitted

Ofgem says energy companies must compensate customers now rather than wait until its review is complete

Ofgem has told energy suppliers to uninstall prepayment meters that have been wrongly force-fitted and pay compensation now, rather than wait for the outcome of a review.

The watchdog is examining the prepayment meter market after it emerged that suppliers were routinely fitting thousands of meters to recover debts by using court warrants to gain entry into people's homes, including those of vulnerable people.