E.on prepayment meter

Scarlett82

Hi guys, hopefully you'll be able to help me with my questions!

Our gas and electric is currently supplied by E.on, and we have a prepayment key meter for both. The meters have been here longer than we have, and my husband called E.on about a year ago (give or take a few months! My memory is terrible) and they said it wasn't worth changing from a prepayment meter to a monthly payment as the prices of both were the same, though that wasn't always the case.

Is this really true? I am not very trusting of this.

Should I push the issue? Get the meters changed? I'm sure I read somewhere that discounts are available for paying by DD and for managing your account online. Which we can't do with a prepayment meter.

We're in a lot of debt at the moment, but we are slowly but surely paying it off, it's just I'm looking for ways to make our bills cheaper.

Thank you!

Premier_2

E.on will charge you about £50 per meter (and may also want a hefty security deposit). If you've a shot credit history, they may simply refuse to give you credit.

The cost of PPMs is about the same as a standard tariff paying on receipt of bill. However, as you say, you can't get the discounts for monthly DD payments, online tariffs, etc. with a PPM

markharding557

Given you have financial problems you may well be better off staying on prepayment
once you have no debt on them they aren't too bad to use.
One good tip i will give you is this:during the warmer months put more than you need on your gas so you build up some credit,this makes it easier in winter.
It is a way of spreading your costs,a bit like direct debit.

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hi Scarlett82,

Premier is right; there is a £50 charge for all non essential meter exchanges and a credit check may be carried out. We would also ask you to agree to a Direct Debit before the exchange would be agreed.

Prepayment prices are the same per unit as standard unit prices. But as pointed out more tariffs are available on credit meters, and as a result you would have more flexibility and choice that may help you find a better deal.

Hope this helps a little.

Brian

naked

markharding557 wrote: »

One good tip i will give you is this:during the warmer months put more than you need on your gas so you build up some credit,this makes it easier in winter.
It is a way of spreading your costs,a bit like direct debit.

I'm not sure excatly how prepayment meters work. I know if there is a price change, it gets updated when you next top up somehow.

Does this mean that if you 'stockpile' gas credit in the summer when prices are lower, your gas works out cheaper in the winter because you're paying summer prices? (As long as you use up all the credit on the meter before topping up again in winter I guess)

Premier_2

naked wrote: »

I'm not sure excatly how prepayment meters work. I know if there is a price change, it gets updated when you next top up somehow.

Does this mean that if you 'stockpile' gas credit in the summer when prices are lower, your gas works out cheaper in the winter because you're paying summer prices? (As long as you use up all the credit on the meter before topping up again in winter I guess)

Prices are not cheaper in the summer. You just usually use less resulting in a lower cost.

At the moment, the general way prices are going is that they should fall (due to lower wholesale prices), so best not to stockpile credit in an attempt to save money else you may end up paying more than you should.

If the meter is read, the idea of stockpiling credit would probably fail anyway as your 'account' will be charged at the price that is current. Yes you have an account even with a prepayment meter.

markharding557

naked wrote: »

I'm not sure excatly how prepayment meters work. I know if there is a price change, it gets updated when you next top up somehow.

Does this mean that if you 'stockpile' gas credit in the summer when prices are lower, your gas works out cheaper in the winter because you're paying summer prices? (As long as you use up all the credit on the meter before topping up again in winter I guess)

No the prices are not lower in summer.
What i meant was if you buy more gas credit in the summer when you use less then you will not have to buy as much in the winter when you use more

Scarlett82

OK thank you all for your answers. We haven't got debt with E.on, just with credit cards etc. I guess the general feel is to stick with the prepayment meter!

Thank you.