Why are energy companies forcing their way into people’s homes?

With energy bills soaring, many people are struggling to pay their bills – and those in the most difficult situations say they are having to skip meals to keep the heating on. But some people have found that their energy companies have taken drastic action if they fall behind on their payments – entering their homes to switch them to prepayment meters, or doing it remotely through their smart meters.

With prepayment often more expensive than paying energy bills monthly or quarterly, and companies using it to claw back debt, is this exacerbating the problems vulnerable customers face? Alex Lawson tells Hannah Moore that campaigners have found customers have been forced to “self-disconnect” – with 3 million unable to top up their pre-payment meters some point last year.

Will a fall in wholesale gas prices mean the situation improves – and what action are politicians taking to ease the problem?

Photograph: Michael Heath/Alamy

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