Emergency Help! No key, No electricity

siliconbits

Just moved in my new house. Estate Agent forgot to give me the electricity key and I assumed that the electricity account was a metered one (never used key before). I came home today, found myself without electricity in the dark. On top of that I am in the process of changing supplier. Here's my plan
(a) Tomorrow morning call the estate agent who sold the house to me and ask them to sort the problem, find me a key OR
(b) Call British Gas and tell them how they can help. I understand their phone number is Customer enquiries (prepayment meter problems or Pay As You Go)
0800 048 0303. Problem is that I don't have an account number or anything.
(c) Buy a new card if I can find one.

Thanks for helping people of MSE

AppleMonkey

So what is it you want to know then?

a) - Won't help you anyways.
b) - Are you currently with British Gas or are you moving over to them if the latter then you need to find your current electric provider and get them to give you a Reference number to pick up a key from your local shop.
c) - Won't work unless you have a reference number from your supplier.

katsu

When we purchased our house we didn't get a key for the prepayment gas meter installed due to previous owners - british gas had to send us one. We didn't have to pay for it. I don't think the estate agent can help so I'd go with the local electricity supplier.

newbie1980

siliconbits wrote: »

Just moved in my new house. Estate Agent forgot to give me the electricity key and I assumed that the electricity account was a metered one (never used key before). I came home today, found myself without electricity in the dark. On top of that I am in the process of changing supplier. Here's my plan
(a) Tomorrow morning call the estate agent who sold the house to me and ask them to sort the problem, find me a key OR
(b) Call British Gas and tell them how they can help. I understand their phone number is Customer enquiries (prepayment meter problems or Pay As You Go)
0800 048 0303. Problem is that I don't have an account number or anything.
(c) Buy a new card if I can find one.

Thanks for helping people of MSE

is it a card or the new key????
either way if u go to a local shop u can get for free and just put ur topup on
this will wipe out any debt also.
this can only be done twice before it locks out

newbie

Rockyroad

I would phone the estate agents but if they don't have the key, find out who supplies the property so you can set an account up until the change of supplier takes place. Some garages and paypoints sell keys which you can purchase if need be. If there is debt on the meter you may need to have a number given by the supplier to reset the meter via the key or you may need an engineer out to reset it.
hope this helps

siliconbits

Thanks for the quick answers. It is a key, not a card. Sorry for the confusion. I asked the local corner shop already whether they had a spare key (if that exists) and they said no. I am moving AWAY from BG to EON, swap will occur first week of November. Is there any account number, box number or meter number that I need to quote? Isn't the key tied to the property rather than to the owner? Thanks again for the help!

newbie1980

siliconbits wrote: »

Thanks for the quick answers. It is a key, not a card. Sorry for the confusion. I asked the local corner shop already whether they had a spare key (if that exists) and they said no. I am moving AWAY from BG to EON, swap will occur first week of November. Is there any account number, box number or meter number that I need to quote? Isn't the key tied to the property rather than to the owner? Thanks again for the help!

no not spare card???
u get a new key from the shop which they then load with money
u dont need any details u can just pick one up
newbie

Rockyroad

You should just need to quote the address when you call the supplier. The key is linked to the property but the tenant could have taken it with them for whatever reason. BG will be able to either send a key out or tell you the nearest shop to you that supplies them.

siliconbits

Newbie1980, basically you are saying that I just need to go to a corner shop where you can recharge those keys and then ask them for one of brand new. Is that right? Rockyroad, will try that tomorrow. I bought the house, so the former owner basically took it away ;-(

newbie1980

siliconbits wrote: »

Newbie1980, basically you are saying that I just need to go to a corner shop where you can recharge those keys and then ask them for one of brand new. Is that right?

yes thats right
i work as a sparky and had to do it many times
newbie

newbie1980

Rockyroad wrote: »

You should just need to quote the address when you call the supplier. The key is linked to the property but the tenant could have taken it with them for whatever reason. BG will be able to either send a key out or tell you the nearest shop to you that supplies them.

the key is only address linked once u place in the meter
when u get it no details required
newbie