Business secretary Grant Shapps is cracking down on energy suppliers forcing financially stretched households to switch to prepayment meters after a surge in cases.

The Welwyn Hatfield MP has written to companies telling them to stop the practice, asking them to instead provide more support to those who are struggling, rather than pushing them to prepay.

He has also asked them to share data on the number of prepayment warrants to name and shame the worst offenders.

Mr Shapps is working with Ofgem and the secretary of state for justice to ensure the process by which suppliers bring these cases to court is fair and supports struggling customers.

"Suppliers are clearly jumping the gun and moving at-risk customers onto prepayment meters before offering them the support they are entitled to," he said. 

"I simply cannot believe that every possible alternative has been exhausted in all these cases.

"Rather than immediately reaching for a new way to extract money out of customers, I want suppliers to stop this practice and lend a more sympathetic ear, offering the kind of forbearance and support that a vulnerable customer struggling to pay should be able to expect."