Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 7:10 pm on 25 January 2023.
Thank you to Jack Sargeant for bringing this topic before us this afternoon. Plaid Cymru fully supports a ban on forcing customers to pay for their energy through prepayment meters, and as I raised with the Minister for Social Justice in the Chamber this afternoon, the Conservative Government in Westminster needs to do more than encourage electricity and gas suppliers to prevent this unsafe and unfair practice that has a totally disproportionate and detrimental on the most vulnerable households of Wales. There needs to be a ban. And if Westminster can't protect the people of Wales from the greed and irresponsibility of the energy providers, the Welsh Government needs to seek the powers necessary to do that.
People are disconnecting themselves from their meters, from light, heat, the ability to wash with warm water and keep their clothes clean. People, as you said, are dying as health conditions are exacerbated as a result of living in cold houses. They are dying now. We must hold the Westminster Government to account for that. The Welsh Government must take action to do what it can to safeguard its citizens.