Stab vests, huge dogs and escape routes: the secret diary of a prepay meter fitter

theguardian.com:

All energy suppliers in the UK have agreed to halt the forced installation of prepayment meters for vulnerable customers, following pressure from a series of exposes about the practice.

The announcement on Friday came days after a judge effectively banned magistrates in England and Wales from issuing the warrants to forcibly install prepayment meters. The move followed a report that debt agents at Arvato Financial Solutions working for British Gas were ignoring signs that people were vulnerable and fitting prepayment meters under court warrant regardless.

One British Gas engineer based in the north of England spoke to the Guardian under the condition of anonymity about his life in a stab vest installing meters while rehearsing his escape route. This is his story.

“When the locksmith opened the door to the flat, three blokes appeared from each side and threatened to smash my head in with a baseball bat. We sort of sensed someone was at home, but no one had answered. They said they were going to follow us home, break into our houses. They finally calmed down when we mentioned the police.

“That was last year. I’ve been with British Gas for more than a decade as an engineer and done countless ‘warrant runs’ – days spent fitting meters for people who don’t want them. It’s never been a nice job, but people have become more aggressive recently, and they don’t realise you have the power to enter their homes. Installing smart meters hasn’t helped – it has increased the time you’re inside their property.

“Before you turn up, a warrant officer, employed by a debt agency, will go on a first visit to speak to the customer and try to sort out payment. Each morning, I’ll get a list of four or five jobs and go with the warrant officer to the