Please Explain Gas PAYG to me!

Suffol

Hi; have just gone onto a Scottish Gas PAYG meter, and am struggling to understand how it operates. I've agreed a balance recovery of £25 / week, and understand it gets taken off on a Wednesday. It was installed last Monday (i.e. 12 days ago). This is what has happened since:

• After the installer left, I went to the PO and put £80 on my brand-new gas card
• The meter immediately took £25 off, leaving £55 for usage
• I expected another £25 to be taken off on Wednesday morning - it wasn't
• I find it hard to get to the PO or local shops (work long hours in remote location), so didn't put more onto the card until yesterday (i.e. two Wednesdays have passed).
• We've used about £3 per day since installation, so still had a credit of c. £20 showing
• I put £60 on the card yesterday and put it in. I was expecting £50 (i.e. for 2x Wednesdays) to be taken off
  • It wasn't - only £25 was taken off! Now I've got loads of credit on the meter for usage
    
    I don't understand how it works - am I now £25 behind on balance-payment? does it only take one payment at each top-up? If so, I'd need to go and get money put on the card every week, which I really don't want to do. I'd hoped to do it just once a month (although I have ordered an online thingy which will help a bit - but will still need me to remember to do it every Wednesday). Help!:o

squiggles

this may help as a guideline,i dont have time right now to search if scottish gas has the same rules though.

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/HelpAndAdvice/TypeID/?Id=1099&Sec=M

kjsmith7

It'll only deduct each Wednesday that you top up, it won't automatically deduct the recovery/£25 from any remaining balance

Scottish Gas & British Gas are one and the same.

You can top up at home using a debit card with a free dongle-thingy that you plug in to your PC You can always put enough credit on the meter, but the £25 each week using the debit card?

http://www.britishgas.co.uk/topup

markharding557

You must top up on a weekly basis for it to work properly

Suffol

Thanks for the advice - does that mean I'm a week behind = in trouble now?:eek:

nickyhutch

I've just started using the top up at home thing - it's great. No dashing out at silly o'clock to top up when we run out (again!).

kjsmith7

No, you won't be in trouble Just remember to top up every week from now on, and you'll just have one week extra of having debit on the meter

Suffol

Thanks for all of the advice; now I just can't wait for my computer dongle to be delivered so that I don't need to kill myself getting top-ups!