THE UK's power firms have been told by energy secretary Amber Rudd to start cutting household bills by passing on the 20% fall in wholesale costs of gas and electricity costs.

It is obviously right that these savings should be passed onto the hard-pressed consumers, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet.

But I think the energy secretary needs to go further and also tell these energy firms that it is unfair that those with pre-payment meters have to pay over the odds.

These meters mean that those who pay in advance for their gas and electricity have to pay an average of £80 a year more than direct debit customers.

It is the poorest in society and those least able to fight their corner who are penalised in this way and I think that is totally wrong.

These power providers are raking in eye-watering profits.

They should cut their charges but they should also stop penalising pre-payment users.

Government figures show that households in Merseyside have the highest proportion of pre-payment meters in the country.

Last year alone 97,000 pre-pay gas and electricity meters were installed in England, Wales and Scotland last year alone.

Paul Nuttal, Northwest Ukip MEP.