Token Meter Misery

nik_k

We have an electricity prepayment meter through SWALEC. Up until today we had a paper token meter, but this was changed to a key meter.

Our electricity is the only utility we use - although we have oil central heating, we are not currently using it due to financial constraints (having to find £250 to get the minimum delivery of 500ltrs of oil would be impossible right now) Therefore we are using 1x (1000w) Electric Oil Radiator in the living room, and 1x (750w) Electric convection heater in one bedroom. These are both thermostatically controlled. The living room heater is on (albeit not always heating) for approx 16hrs a day, whilst the bedroom heater is on for approx 12hrs a day. (Both heaters have only been in place since October, when it started getting chilly)

In the past few weeks we have been topping the meter up with approx £25 a week.

However, after our new meter was installed earlier today, and after the engineer had put £5 credit on for us, we have found that this £5 has gone within 10hrs. :eek:

Initially I suspected that the engineer had put the wrong unit price into the new meter. However, on closer inspection it would appear that the correct unit charge (15.62p) was set up.

In 10hrs we have used 30KWh of electric, and we were not even in the house for 5hrs of that! I will be checking tomorrow to see exactly what is using so much electric.

Since moving into the house in Aug 07, we have only had 1 statement from SWALEC, which, IIRC, was after 2 or 3 months. Since then we have not had anything from them.

When the appointment to change the meter was made, the SWALEC girl said that a statement would be automatically generated. Howver, I am concerned about this statement...

For whatever reason, it would appear that (and I'm jumping to conclusions here) we have not been paying the correct unit charge for potentially the last 16 months! Based on today's usage, the amount we were previously topping up the meter by each week (£25) would seem totally inadequate at the correct unit rate. By my calculations, we would be looking at approx £70 per week. Would SWALEC have any right to charge us the difference between what we have paid over the past 16 months, and what we should have paid? Surely it is their responsibility to update the unit charge as and when it is increased? Does anyone know whether this is normally done remotely, or whether it needs to be manually input into the meter?

As you can no doubt understand, I am a bit anxious, and confused as to what has happened, and what will happen!

Pink_fluff

Your old token meter was probably set far too low, so really you were paying for your electricity at a cheaper price than you should have been - that is swalec's fault and not yours. But as you have the key meter now, it will be set at todays rates, which is why you feel you are paying so much more.

SwanJon

You've got it all right. You have been underpaying, and are now paying the right price. As Swalec informed you of their price changes they are legally allowed to get the money from you (and can do it easily through the meter). The token meter needed to be done manually, and as most are in people's houses it can be difficult for them to do it after each price rise. Key meters can be changed remotely.
Whether they will is a different matter, I can't remember off the top of my head if they are one of the companies that writes this off or not.

Your heaters could use 24 kWh between them daily (if thermostats didn't kick in).
Can you shorten the lenght of time they are on for? Have you had the house insulated?
Take regular readings and try twaeking things and see what effect that has on the consumption.
Electricity is an expensive way to heat your home, and worse if you are not using E7 and storage heaters.

nik_k

Seeing as though SWALEC have made no effort to come and change the unit rate for over 12 months, and have not even corresponded with me during that time, I feel they would have a bloody cheek to ask me to pay the difference between what was paid and what should have been paid!

spiro

In terms of a statement most suppliers only issue prepayment customer with an annual statement rather than the quaterly bills credit customers get.
The suppliers agreed with OFGEM the amount/period they can back claim of token meter underpayment and you can see on you meter how much they are claiming back and the total amount. All electric houses typically have high bills and your is probably made worse by using electric heaters rather than storeage heaters. Suggest you need to find the money to get the oil heating on asap before the weather turns really code.

Joyful

I heard someone advising a customer yesterday that they had been paying 6p on their Token meter and now were paying the correct price of 15p on a key meter. Many people are now finding they have massively underpaid for their electricity through these meters.

Limey

These meters are an absolute rip off! My girlfriend put £10 on hers, turned every single power draining device off and came to stay with me for a couple of weeks. When she got back the balance was zero and it charged extra her for that.

These things charge you just for the privilage of having them and then add a bit for the hell of it. :mad: They are given to less well off people and end up costing them more, the bloody things should be banned.

Can you revert to a standard meter, it'll save you sooooo much in the long run?

spiro

Limey wrote: »

These meters are an absolute rip off! My girlfriend put £10 on hers, turned every single power draining device off and came to stay with me for a couple of weeks. When she got back the balance was zero and it charged extra her for that.

These things charge you just for the privilage of having them and then add a bit for the hell of it. :mad: They are given to less well off people and end up costing them more, the bloody things should be banned.

Can you revert to a standard meter, it'll save you sooooo much in the long run?

That fact is used up the credit while away will depend on (1) does the tariff have a standing charge (this takes not account of occupancy)? and (2) any debt recovery. I suspect your GF didn't turn everything off unless she doesn't have a freezer which will use some.

inspace

We had the same problem and feel the pain now at full price on key meter.

Now they want to change our gas meter - we have a card that we top up at the local shop are we charged the correct price on this or can this go up also as we cant see a unit price on the meter or anything it just shows how much you have topped up by when you put the card in.

W e already spend £40 a week on gas at this time of year.

spiro

inspace wrote: »

We had the same problem and feel the pain now at full price on key meter.

Now they want to change our gas meter - we have a card that we top up at the local shop are we charged the correct price on this or can this go up also as we cant see a unit price on the meter or anything it just shows how much you have topped up by when you put the card in.

W e already spend £40 a week on gas at this time of year.

Card gas meters are kept up to date on price. I think there is a way with the card in of seeing the price etc.

inspace

I really do hope so as they are due tommorow and feel like locking the door lol as we cant afford any more at these prices - we spend more on fuel than on food now.