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Andrew Long, founder of comparison site Switchcraft, says smaller energy firms are particularly susceptible to using surplus credit balances to their ‘advantage’.

Andrew Long of Switchcraft said “Any energy supplier still installing last generation smart meters needs to give a very clear justification for their actions”

Founder and chief executive of Switchcraft.co.uk, Andrew Long said the “biggest scandal” in the energy market is still the way the most vulnerable customers pay the most. “It should be illegal for prepayment customers to be charged more”

Switchcraft said it made “no sense” to increase prices when 2.1m families were already behind on their bills. “The biggest scandal in the energy market is still the way the most vulnerable customers pay the most”.

Andrew Long is chief executive of Switchcraft which automatically moves customers on to cheaper gas and electricity tariffs. He says: ‘Energy suppliers love to keep your account in credit and then use your money to run their business.”

‘I enjoy the warm feeling of knowing I’m not overpaying without having to do anything myself. The switches all happen in the background, my direct debit is changed automatically – and I just get an email saying it’s been done.’

“With some suppliers understandably behind on their bills with the pandemic, I wouldn’t be surprised if more suppliers quietly bump up direct-debit payment demands,” says Andrew Long, chief executive of Switchcraft

Some industry experts believe suppliers will be keener than ever to hoard customers’ overpayments. Andrew Long is chief executive of Switchcraft, an auto-switching service that moves customers on to cheaper energy deals on their behalf.

Andrew Long, founder of Switchcraft, warns that there are signs other suppliers could be struggling.

Andrew Long, CEO and founder of Switchcraft.co.uk, says: “Today’s news about Tonik energy isn’t a surprise given their £8.7m Renewables Obligation debt…”