Magistrate quits over force-fitting meter warrants
By Anna Collinson & Dearbail JordanA magistrate has said he quit after being left unable to check vulnerable people were being protected when energy firms sought warrants to force-fit prepayment meters.
However, they are required to have exhausted all other options first and should not do so for vulnerable customers such as the elderly and those with young children. In 2019, warrant applications reached 278,966 and 1,824 refusals were granted, according to the Ministry of Justice. In 2022, applications for warrants hit 367,140 and there were just 56 refusals.
Higher energy prices have pushed up inflation which in the UK stood at 10.5% in December, close to a 40-year high.Mr Cantrill-Fenwick said: "Energy companies are making far too many warrant applications when they should only be used very exceptionally." "If an application is contested, the warrant will not be granted by the magistrate and the magistrate will list the case for a contested hearing to determine whether or not it should be granted."
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