Hello, it's Mann Veen. This week, while everyone's recovering from the excesses of Christmas

and getting ready to let rip at New Year, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity

to look back at some of our favorite episodes from 2023. In today's episode

we hear from Paul Morgan Bentley head of investigations at the Times who went

undercover to expose how British gas agents were breaking into vulnerable

customers' homes and forcing them on to prepayment meters.

These meters work on a pay-as-you-go system so if you can't afford to top up

you're left in a cold and dark home, particularly bleak at this time of year.

Among those who are being targeted in this way by British Gas

were the elderly, people with profound disabilities,

and families with young children. The investigation had a huge impact and led to a change in the law.

Now, energy firms are banned from force-fitting these meters in many customers homes,

including the over 75s and all families with children under two years old,

ensuring that millions of vulnerable people

are in warm homes this winter.

Sometimes you get an investigation that you know will change people's lives.

This was one of those stories.

With the cost of living crisis biting and energy bills shooting up we knew that some of the

most vulnerable people in society would struggle to cope. But when the times

went undercover and found that British Gas had been obtaining court warrants

to break into customers' homes, people were genuinely shocked,

particularly as gas companies are supposed to protect vulnerable customers.

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