prepayment meters and emergency credit.

temperance

We have always had prepayment meters as we have a large family and big bills are a no, i liked being able to pay as we used. So recently when we moved to equipower we were suprised to get a bill from npower demanding £254 . Aparently if u use the emergency credit u are charged double is this right ? Npower have informed me that this is the case for all companies but we have never had this problem before has any one else? would appreciate some advice.

stef240377

In the 14 years i have had electric meters as far as i know i have never been charged double for using the emergency and that has been a fair few times over the years. You do have to pay back the emergency when you next top up but meerly enough to clear the debt and have enough to keep you going.

So an emergency value of £5 would need a minimum of £7.00 to be above the level in which the emergency requires pressing. You do however get charged something like 30p for using the emergency credit. If like me you forget that shops have awkward opening hours at xmas and new year it can become a god send.

brysiewysie

temperance wrote: »

We have always had prepayment meters as we have a large family and big bills are a no, i liked being able to pay as we used. So recently when we moved to equipower we were suprised to get a bill from npower demanding £254 . Aparently if u use the emergency credit u are charged double is this right ? Npower have informed me that this is the case for all companies but we have never had this problem before has any one else? would appreciate some advice.

I don't have pre-pay but work for Eon in a department that has some contact with pre-pay customers. I've never heard of this either.

Boppy_2

Oh Npower trying it on again, surprise surprise!!

Summercherry

I have pre-pay and have swapped supplier several times I always use my emergency credit as I work nights alot of the time and don't get chance to top up, I have never been charged double for using it.

WhistleBlower

The most likely answer to this is not that you've been charged twice but that you're being asked to catch up on your standing charge.

When you are in emergency credit (EC) the meter can't claim the standing charge and it can build up if you use EC a lot.

temperance

thanks for the replys i spoke to someone at npower and was told that for every £5 of emergency credit used we were to pay back £10 , even when we paid back the emergency credit of £5 the next time we topped up so if we used the whole £5 we had to pay back £10 but the meter would only pay back £5 hence the bill.
As for standing charges we were with npower for a year and there is no way we racked up that much in standing charges by using the emergency credit.

WhistleBlower

Hmm, something about that sounds fishy to me so i'm going to hae a word with our prepayments dept tomorrow when i'm at work and ask about it.

far be it from me to belittle my colleagues but i don't think that advisor knew what they were talking about. Still, i could be wrong.

spiro

temperance wrote: »

thanks for the replys i spoke to someone at npower and was told that for every £5 of emergency credit used we were to pay back £10 , even when we paid back the emergency credit of £5 the next time we topped up so if we used the whole £5 we had to pay back £10 but the meter would only pay back £5 hence the bill.
As for standing charges we were with npower for a year and there is no way we racked up that much in standing charges by using the emergency credit.

If suppliers forces customer to pay twice for electricity used in emergency credit mode they would have had energywatch/OFGEM/Help The Aged etc on their case years ago. I agree I think you being given incorrect information. If you look at their T&Cs online it makes no mention of charging for using emergency credit.

groovychick69

Hi hope you dont mind me borrowing your thread. We have just moved into a house with pre payment meters. We have always paid by dd before however british gas have failed us both on the credit check so we are stuck with them. We have tried Eon our current supplier however they have also stated we need to keep them for 6 Months and then we have to pay for the privilige of having them removed at a cost of £50 per meter!!!!Has anyone any knowledge of if other companies operate the same procedure?? We are keen to get rid ASAP but seem to have hit a wall

spiro

groovychick69 wrote: »

Hi hope you dont mind me borrowing your thread. We have just moved into a house with pre payment meters. We have always paid by dd before however british gas have failed us both on the credit check so we are stuck with them. We have tried Eon our current supplier however they have also stated we need to keep them for 6 Months and then we have to pay for the privilige of having them removed at a cost of £50 per meter!!!!Has anyone any knowledge of if other companies operate the same procedure?? We are keen to get rid ASAP but seem to have hit a wall

Most suppliers will change a meter for free if it is their interest i.e. Credit to Prepayment if you are getting into debt, but they charge the other way round as it is of no benefit to them and they have to pay the Meter Operator (maintainer) to do the work.