Pre-paid meters vs DD

bairn7

Hi all

Im moving to my first flat at the weekend and I know it has prepaid meters for both electric and gas. Im completely new to bills etc as its my first flat (rented). Ive looked for info but cant really find what im looking for.

If anyone can help id be really grateful. In particular,

- Is there anything I should do before using the meter for the first time (eg speak to the suppliers?)
- Can you get different deals with prepaid cards? Can I shop around for suppiers?
- Is it possible, expensive to change to a monthly bill meter and pay by DD etc instead of having to use a card?

Any advice would be gratefully appreciated. My landlord seems amenable to making changes if I wish to do this.

Thanks
Paul

KimYeovil

Yes, you must speak to the suppliers to receive your own card/key for the meters. You should also take a note of the readings and communicate them to both the suppliers and your landlord. If previous tenants have left cards/keys use them only with caution - don't top up more than the minimum amount at a time until you have your own keys/had the meters reset.

Make sure you keep a copy of all receipts for all top-ups (even after you have your own keys).

You can shop around for different prepayment tariffs from different suppliers - choose the appropriate option from the meter type options on the comparison sites. You don't get different deals on a payment by payment basis through topping up from different shops.

Many suppliers do not charge for switching to a credit meter but some do. In addition you may be asked for a deposit of up to £300 per fuel that will be returned to you after one year (with interest). Whether you are charged or not can depend on your credit history and the history of the previous users of the meters. It is safe to phone around and ask - you will have a chance to cancel if you are not happy with any costs.