A magistrate has said he resigned after being left unable to check the conditions under which warrants for forced prepayment meters (PPMs) were requested.

Following growing calls for restrictions on prepayment warrants, BBC Newsnight looked at the role of courts in granting warrants for forcibly entering homes to install PPMs.

Robin Cantrill-Fenwick, Former Justice of the Peace told the programme: “When I started as a magistrate six years ago, energy companies would come to the court reasonably frequently requesting warrants of entry. We would be able to ask companies questions and would from time to time decline the application for a warrant.

“Over time, the process around how these warrants were considered changed and rather than looking at individual applications, we would just get a list of addresses.”

Last week, Caroline Flint, former minister for Housing and Planning, said suppliers had been given the benefit of doubt on forced PPM installations for too long and urged courts to check warrant processes.

Mr Cantrill-Fenwick added: “If you are a person who is in acute financial distress and a court is going to consider granting the power to a private company to enter your home and install a PPM, you would want to know that the court are taking that decision really seriously, they are giving it serious consideration, they are asking questions, and none of that’s true anymore.

“And I simply got to a point where I just couldn’t imagine going into court and putting my signature to one of those warrants.”

Campaigners had previously called for a ban on PPM installations through court warrants – they believe that customers in debt who are forced onto a PPM by their supplier will often “self disconnect” and stop using energy.

A spokesperson for the Judicial Office said: “Magistrates deal with cases based on the evidence and the relevant legislation. The only applications that are dealt with in bulk are ones that are uncontested.

“Individuals who wish to contest or challenge an application still have the opportunity to have their case considered by magistrates.

“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.”

Article source: https://www.energylivenews.com/2023/02/06/magistrate-steps-down-over-force-fitting-prepay-meter-warrants/