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People who use prepayment energy meters should be at the front of the queue in a shift to new, money-saving energy technology, charities have said.

National Energy Action, which lobbies for action for warm and dry homes, said some people were forced outside during lockdowns to top-up old meters.

Following consultation with a host of charities, it said replacing these old meters should be given priority.

Smart meters are being installed in households across the country.

National Energy Action spoke to 130 organisations across the UK that work with low income and vulnerable energy consumers. Many lower-income residents and tenants pay for their electricity and gas via prepayment meters often online, but possibly by buying credit at shops and post offices.

Its report. published on Tuesday, suggested families with the oldest prepayment meters faced extra difficulty during the Covid crisis to keep the lights on and to keep homes warm. Some had to go out to shops, when they would have otherwise stayed at home, to pay to top-up meters.

"There is clear evidence vulnerable energy customers with older pay-as-you-go meters were put at needless risk during pandemic," said Frazer Scott, chief executive of Energy Action Scotland and co-author of the report.

He said replacing these meters should be the priority for the smart meter roll-out, as well as capping how much these customers paid.

The introduction of smart meters into British households has not been smooth, with concerns raised over missed targets, faulty technology and concerns for some customers switching suppliers.

However, the move has been marketed as an opportunity to make the system more efficient, by ending manual meter readings, and to save customers money.

Robert Cheesewright, from Smart Energy GB - which promotes the technology, said: "Getting smart prepayment meters can be life changing for households. We must make sure low-income, vulnerable and prepay customers benefit from smart meters and the roll-out."

The report comes shortly after advice charity Citizens Advice warned that gas and electricity customers were still being plagued by inaccurate bills from the UK's worst-rated suppliers.