Prepaid Electricity with NIE

mackers8923

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If you're looking for how to save while using a prepaid meter, please also read Cheap Prepaid Electricity and Gas article.

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Hi

I have been on a prepay meter through choice for about a year now and all in all its nice not to have the big bill every quarter but I'm certain I'm paying over the odds.

Have any forums members got one of these meters? How do you find the costs and if given the chance would you revert to the quarterly billing?

On average I think we are using anything from £3 - £6 a day.

doelani

hi

You can get a list of costs here

http://www.nieenergy.co.uk/pdf/tariffs_domestic.pdf

I have a prepay meter, my choice a few years ago when I was paying £80 per month by DD and got a bill that was not covered and NIE wanted to put DD up so I paid bill and got meter in.

I would not be without it now, £30 a week is easier to find than £120 a month. Hubby gets paid weekly so I just buy topup online every friday.

My daily can be between £3-£6 depending how many are at home and what I am doing, I have been down every moneysaving route with electricy and in the end just ahd to face facs, we just use to much.

lynn44

Yes I have pre pay gas and electric, I dont want a big bill coming in every quarter but it has been on watchdog we pay upto £300 per YEAR more!!
I think if you look on watchdog site they are trying to get these charges changed

smsmith

I called NIE to check out what options were available as like you I thought I was paying over the odds. It turns out the prepay meters are the cheapest option - in N Ire anyway, the UK is the opposite. The only change I was able to make was to move on to the powershift tariff - I works well for me but I know some other people who it just didnt suit.
Hope this helps.

Bigcammy

As far as I remember, NIE give 2.5% discount for using prepay meters, after all, the more they have the less manual meter reading is required and therefore less meter readers...........

jd87

Prepay meters always cost more overall. Monthly direct debit is always cheapest. Go to the gas and electric board for proper advice on this.

mummy72

I also have a top up meter from NIE and it has saved me money since it was fitted in November. I have recently changed to Powershift and it has saved me even more on average 60p per day more :T. I was paying monthly direct debit and even with the discount it was still £20 per month more than I am paying now and considering this is winter and my heating, lights etc are on more so it should be even better in the summer, direct discount is 4% and the meter discount is 2.5% so when you work it out it really is not that much considering you have the choice of using powershift which gives different rates at different times of the day. I certainly would not go back to bills and direct debit.

sparky40

We were on pre pay in our old house and now on DD. The pre pay we had was on powershift and it was def cheaper, we did everything at nite, washing machine etc.