Is there a charge for using emergency credit on prepayment meters (electric)?

dn852k4

We're currently in the process of moving homes. The old place's electric is in to the emergency credit. On Sunday evening I noted there was £1.32 remaining of the emergency credit. On leaving I turned off all the lights and unplugged any remaining electrical items. The next morning the credit had gone down to £1.01 - I took a note of the meter reading and when I returned later that evening (after 12am) the meter had gone down to £0.86 , the power that had been used measured 0.4 KW/h

I've suspected for a long time that we've been charged a 'standing charge' depsite the fact that when I last phoned up to enquire (as we recieved a bill showing a standing charge) I was told that the meter will show a standing charge is being taken, but it actually won't take a charge It's a modern meter, not an old one.

Are we being told porkier? or is there a daily charge for going in to emergency credit? I can't find any refernce to it on their website.

tinkerbelle

When you are in your emergency all standing charges are suspended until you put credit back on. I know this is the case for Southern Electric This is to enable your emergency credit to last longer.

neil9313

dn852k4 wrote: »

We're currently in the process of moving homes. The old place's electric is in to the emergency credit. On Sunday evening I noted there was £1.32 remaining of the emergency credit. On leaving I turned off all the lights and unplugged any remaining electrical items. The next morning the credit had gone down to £1.01 - I took a note of the meter reading and when I returned later that evening (after 12am) the meter had gone down to £0.86 , the power that had been used measured 0.4 KW/h

I've suspected for a long time that we've been charged a 'standing charge' depsite the fact that when I last phoned up to enquire (as we recieved a bill showing a standing charge) I was told that the meter will show a standing charge is being taken, but it actually won't take a charge It's a modern meter, not an old one.

Are we being told porkier? or is there a daily charge for going in to emergency credit? I can't find any refernce to it on their website.

im not sure re a daily charge, but you will def use the credit at a higher rate, so dont try and use it if possible!

SwanJon

I'm going to have to disagree with Neil and agree with Tinkerbelle.
None of the PP meters I have worked with charge more for being in Emergency Credit (gas or electricity).
For a start anything like that would need to be in your contract (for example "Your prices are Xp/kWh when in credait and Yp/kWh when in Energency Credit).
The reason some people think this is for the reason Tinkerbelle says.
The meters will not recover a standing charge (or T1/T2 calibration) or any debt recovery while in Emergency Credit. This is why if you borrow £5 EC, you will often need to pay back somewhere between £5-6.

In fact. because of this you will probably get more kWh for the £5 EC than for £5 normal credit (at least until you next top up).

dunloadin

The price of a unit of electricity does not magically increase when the emergengy credit is being used; your standing charge is still deducted when in emergency, and it's probably an element of this that came off your meter. This happens to all meters, be they key or token; I've seen meters in houses that have been empty for ages have quite high debts on them due to this happening.

Your weekly charge does not come off in a lump sum, but is taken in small amounts through the week.

Losing a quarter of your weekly charge in one go seems odd, cycle the meter reading with the key in and see if any debt is on the meter...if debt is present and dosent belong to you get your supplier to do a 'change of tennancy' on the meter to nullify the debt. If you are using the previous occupants key get a change of tennancy sorted anyway.

Despite your best efforts there will always be something using electricity....maybe a phone charger or a doorbell transformer.

dn852k4

We're meant to be on a 'no standing charge' tariff that's where the problem lies. I've calculated we're being chared 23p per day, which is their daily service charge on the standing charge tariff.