EDF wont install a pre-payment meter

markyboy32

1st time poster, so hello and all that.

Am currently with EDF for both electric and gas, and recently had a prepayment installed for electricity arrears. Am paying off the arrears @ £8p/w.

Im self-employed, and during the past 6months work has been really hard to come by - hence the debt of electricity/gas. This afternoon I phoned EDF to ask if they could install a pre-payment meter for the Gas, and lower the electric arrear payments to £5p/w, I know that I am going to struggle to pay the gas bill, the women on the other end said that EDF cant install a pre-payment meter for gas due to some issue when the house was built, didnt really understand the reason, but something along the lines of they cant get access.

I was offered the chance to add on my gas arrears onto the arrears that I am currently paying off for my electricity, but have declined this as I felt it was a bit pushy on her behalf, its wasn't as though she offered me this service, more a case of if you dont add on the arrears and pay them off via your electric pre-payment meter, we will disconnect your gas supply, so there!.

I asked her if I could get a payment card that I can top up as and when I can afford to via the post office, and re-introduce a montly direct debit for my gas, but again this was declined, due to the amount owing(£320).

So really im stuck in limbo, I want to go on a prepayment meter for the gas, but they wont allow it, all they want is for me to carry the debt over to the electricity meter and pay it off that way.

Bit of a ramble I guess, and maybe I should have a browse through these forums for any similar posts. But still my first post, and would really appreciate some kind of advice.

Premier_2

Do you know where the gas meter is? Why do EDF think access to it is not possible? Can't you provide them with access?

markyboy32

Of course I know where the gas meter is, its not to do with the physical whereabouts of the meter. It was something along the lines of when transco installed the pipes means that a ppm cant be installed.

Premier_2

markyboy32 wrote: »

... It was something along the lines of when transco installed the pipes means that a ppm cant be installed.

I think you need to go back to better understand the reason EDF say they can't install a PPM. A PPM meter is directly interchangeable with a credit meter on all installations I've seen - it's just 2 pipe connections.

Is the issue that a PPM is perhaps physically bigger than a credit meter so a PPM won't fit in the current position without some building alterations?

Joyful

If you are on an IGT meter no supplier to my knowledge can fit a PP meter. If this is true I would accept their offer to transfer the debt. After that you can try to get back on track.

advantix

Joyful wrote: »

If you are on an IGT meter no supplier to my knowledge can fit a PP meter. If this is true I would accept their offer to transfer the debt. After that you can try to get back on track.

This is correct. If your MPRN number (will be shown on your bills) begins 71 or 72 or 73 or 74 or 75 or 76 or 77 or 78 or 79 then it is an IGT and a PP Meter CANNOT be fitted to these supplies as yet (i beleive it is being looked at though). Incidentally you can also tell if it is an IGT because you will have an IGT charge of approx £42 pa (some companies actually hide this in the bill!)

Gman0365

Pre-payment meters can and are being installed on IGT sites. I work with guys that install these meters. There is a mountain of jobs to get done though because for so long PPM's were not installed on IGT sites. Trust me, if you owe money to a gas supplier they will always find a way of getting it back! Its may have taken them a while to get the ball rolling with IGT sites but they are sure firing them in now!

Premier_2

advantix wrote: »

... Incidentally you can also tell if it is an IGT because you will have an IGT charge of approx £42 pa (some companies actually hide this in the bill!)

It's certainly hidden well in my bill ... so well it can't be seen

Neither BG nor SSE/Ebico make any charge for IGT customers
EDF only charge their gas only customers an IGT charge which is embedded in the tariff.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/you-switch-gas-electricity

Interestingly, nPower has a Pre Pay Meter IGT tariff which has a £30 additional annual standing charge

spiro

markyboy32 wrote: »

Of course I know where the gas meter is, its not to do with the physical whereabouts of the meter. It was something along the lines of when transco installed the pipes means that a ppm cant be installed.

Well tell us where it is and we may know the answer. It might be that the meter is in a concealed or semi-concealed meter box which means they could fit a prepayment meter but you may not be able to put the card in to charge it up.