Please Help - Pre-payment

katieofthehills

Hi,

After living a bit foolishly in our early 20s we were put onto prepayment meters. We have been slowly working the balance off but are increasingly finding that we are being ripped off. This week for example £40 has gone on the gas so far. It ran out this morning so I popped to the shops to put £5 just until I get some more cash tomorrow, got home and the meter wouldn't read the card. Phoned British Gas up and they said that we had broken the card and we would have to go buy another one for £8.00, plus it was unlikely they would give us the money we topped up back. Not for sympathetic effect but my husband recently got made redundant. We don't have £8.00, we have a two year old and now no heating for the day. Really don't know what I can do. Any advice? Does anyone know of an energy company that would take you on with a debt still owing?

spiro

You dont say how much debt is still outstanding.

katieofthehills

sorry. it was around £400 when I checked in the summer

Joyful

The meter operator will not call out unless 3 cards have been tried. Keep your receipts and cards. You can then send back and the credit on the cards will be refunded. If there is still a problem they will refund the cost of the cards also.

C_Mababejive

This is nonsense. If you have a vaild card and you have credit on it and the meter will not accept it then your supplier needs to take some action. I would suggest that the course of action would be that they initiate a visit by the meter owner to check it for faults. Does it say call help on its screen? Does the meter beep and show how much is on the card when you put it in or does it just do nothing or say "card not accepted" or "fail".?

Either way,,,it isnt your issue,its theres and they need to sort it. Ring them back. Tell them i sent you.

Joyful

What company do you work for C_Mababejive? The info I gave is the service agreement that British Gas have with their meter operators. If they call out and it is the card that is faulty and not the meter the Customer will be charged up to £93. The person at BG's end will have checked the questions you have asked and that is why they will have advised to get another card!

enthrone

@ C_Mababejive- as the card is not working, its obviously not valid.

@ Joyful- Thought the active service charge had been increased to £98 for wasted callouts ?

Go to the shop get a new tag issued, and then try the card, if in total three cards don't work, then you're eligible for a call out.

its better to spend the few pounds on new cards, than the call out fee if your meter isnt faulty.

plus as fair as i know, British gas can tell whether the money has been transferred from the card to the meter.