Ms Karen Kavanagh:

As Ms MacEvilly said, there is a framework. The supplier handbook captures the various codes of practice and there is a code relating to pay-as-you-go customers. In addition, we have a code for vulnerable customers that sets out explicit provisions for those customers with that defined in law. The handbook specifies that prepayment meters may not be suitable for those customers and there are obligations on suppliers to make that absolutely clear to customers at the point of sign-up to ensure they are aware of how the prepayment functions and what the implications are for not keeping up with the payments, and to check in with those customers regularly, at least once a year, to ensure there has been no change in their status and to ensure it is still an appropriate form of payment.

I believe we provided the handbook in the pack we sent to the committee. There is a very comprehensive suite of obligations on suppliers relating to both prepayment and vulnerable customers. We audit this regularly to see how suppliers are delivering on this and, if there are issues, to see what needs to be remedied. We have been actively working with our consumer stakeholder group in the context of recent rising prices to understand what specific things are happening on the ground beyond the baseline level of protections that we have set out.

As Ms MacEvilly said, we take soundings through our customer care team to hear the practical experience of those agencies that are working directly with customers and are better informed of the specific issues that customers experience. As she said, the issue relating to people who are renting has not been raised with us. We would be happy to look at that and try to understand how it is happening. As she also said, final customers are the contracting party with the supplier and they should enjoy all the customer protections outlined in the supply handbook.