do the gas and electric key and card meters really charge £1.50 a week?

ladylumps45

we have just moved to a 3 bed house and have an electric key and gas card so they are both prepaid.
ive been told today that both gas and electric charge £1.50 each a week just to have the meters.
anyone know if this is true?
thanks.

KimYeovil

Yes, there are standing charges with all supplies regardless of meter type (either implemented as a daily standing charge or a two-tier tariff structure.)

£1.50 per week or £6.50 per month is a reasonable sum - it varies from £4 per month to £12 per month per fuel.

markharding557

This varies with supplier so do a comparison for your best options

kjsmith7

A lot of the suppliers have removed or are in the process of removing these extra charges - phone your supplier if you want to check

Andy_WSM

kjsmith7 wrote: »

A lot of the suppliers have removed or are in the process of removing these extra charges - phone your supplier if you want to check

But those that have charge extra for the electric / gas prices. ie.. have a 2 Tier system where you pay more for the first x amount of consumption, then less after that.

edit - but you should still shop around.

kjsmith7

Andy_WSM wrote: »

But those that have charge extra for the electric / gas prices. ie.. have a 2 Tier system where you pay more for the first x amount of consumption, then less after that.

edit - but you should still shop around.

Disagree, the price is actually 'cheaper' per kWh (not factoring in online tariffs and direct debit discounts for credit customers) for some...

BG Electricity prices - http://www.britishgas.co.uk/pdf/unit%20rates/Elec%20ONLINE%20Rates%20Tables%20-%20Standard.pdf - the first column is credit meter prices, the right hand column is no standing charge (Tier 1 & Tier 2) price (key meters, I believe) BG Gas prices - http://www.britishgas.co.uk/pdf/unit%20rates/Gas%20ONLINE%20Rates%20Tables%20-%20Standard.pdf (second column for credit meters, fourth column for pay as you go/prepayment)

I did search the nPower website but had to do a 'quote', £20 per year (40p a week) more expensive for gas on a prepayment meter, same for elec in my region.

KimYeovil

KJ and Andy are conflating two different issues. The cost of prepayment meter tariffs versus the cost of other meter types' tariffs is completely separate from the issue of standing charges (whether two-tier or daily).

The OP would face a weekly charge of £1.50 (or whatever) even on the cheapest direct debit online tariff with a credit meter - having a prepayment meter is of little consequence (although, having said that, it is possible that some suppliers may supply prepayment meters with only daily standing charge tariffs. Then again, more and more of the cheaper credit meter tariffs are now daily standing charge only (e.g. Ovo, nPower SOL18)).

leedsforever_2

With Npower prepayment do get a quarterly standing charge.
But yeh you only get charged the bottom tarrif instead of the two tier system. PLUS your not getting the discounts that are awarded to DD customers so it does work out more expensive

mattcanary

Some suppliers do not charge any standing-charges on some of their tariffs.

That has been mentioned before and is correct. I know it is correct - I do not pay a standing-charge. If I do not use any gas (as was the case when my heating was broken at my old home around the turn of the year), then I do not pay anything for that period of time. Thus - no standing charge!

KimYeovil

mattcanary wrote: »

Some suppliers do not charge any standing-charges on some of their tariffs.

That has been mentioned before and is correct. I know it is correct - I do not pay a standing-charge. If I do not use any gas (as was the case when my heating was broken at my old home around the turn of the year), then I do not pay anything for that period of time. Thus - no standing charge!

Semantic strawman twaddle.

Gurn_2

mattcanary wrote: »

Some suppliers do not charge any standing-charges on some of their tariffs.

That has been mentioned before and is correct. I know it is correct - I do not pay a standing-charge. If I do not use any gas (as was the case when my heating was broken at my old home around the turn of the year), then I do not pay anything for that period of time. Thus - no standing charge!

Correct, many landlords of empty properties do this, however, be warned if you are on a zero standing charge tariff, then the cost of the units is more!
So they get it anyway!