Very poor show
Lower-cased consumer crusaders energywatch has called on suppliers to stop charging the poor more for gas and electricity.
Kids living in poverty, disabled people, older consumers and the fuel poor are apparently suffering most from the rocketing prices.
Millions of low-income consumers use prepayment meters (ppms) as a way to help them budget. But people with ppms are paying up to £173 a year more for gas and up to £113 more for electricity than quarterly billed consumers.
There are nearly six million ppms, which are mostly concentrated among low-income consumers, single parents with dependent children, the unemployed receiving benefits and the long-term sick and disabled.
Also, almost one in four gas ppm users is in debt. It can take the poorest consumers years to pay off their debt.
Because of this, the energy watchdog fears increasing numbers will disconnect themselves in the coming winter because they won’t have enough cash to stuff in their meters.
Yet another vivid reminder, as if we needed one, of the poor having to pay more for essential services.
Posted by Thin White Duke
September 4th, 2006
