Moved House: Top Up Card Meter Contract?

ChampManFan

Hi - I'm writing this on behalf of my friend who has just moved house last week.

She currently has a top up card meter already installed (it is rented from a housing association/council) and as it is expensive, she phoned up npower to ask for it to be removed. But they said she can't do that for 12 months even though she has just moved it and has not signed anything with them or has any paper work! I'm aware npower are terrible with customers (Watchdog, etc) and would like to know what she can do in this situation.

I know you can move about with energy companies as I've done this without issues on 3 occasions, but the difference is I don't have a top up card meter and would be grateful for help get her utilities bills down by getting it removed or to a cheaper deal - I would really appreciate any advice on this matter.

Many thanks!

*depressed*

some companies say you have to be with them a set amount of time before they will switch the meter, in this case npower is 12 months, however edf is instant, they would take over the supply then once they supply the property an appointment will be made to complete a meter exchange, am not which other companies do this straight away, i believe british gas have a policy where you have to keep the prepay meters for a while but cant confirm the likes of eon, scottish power etc

hope this helps

p.s edf charges there prepayment customers the same unit rates as a standard meter customer and there is no standing charge on the meter, you also still get the dual fuel discount which is credited to the meter

xxx

ChampManFan

That is the power company she had in mind to change to - EDF. It's a shame if that is the case, where she can't change for 12 months. But how can this apply to a new resident rather than just the property, this totally baffles me?

What are her rights and is there any way to get around a 12 month contract if she never had anything to do with it?

The deal you mentioned, whereby you can get a dual fuel deal is a step in the towards getting her utility bills down. The ideal scenario is getting the meter removed and paying as most people do, where they are much better deals to be had.

*depressed*

Hi

Unfortunatly in the very olden days prepayment meters where more for people with bad credit, even in todays world they still sometimes get targeted with the same brush unfortunatly, the reason npower make you stay with them for 12 months is something to do with a credit rating i am led to believe, it will cost them to change the meter and they also want to see the customer is then going to stay with them thinking that if they have stayed for 12 months chances are they will continue to

in terms of edf your friend could switch to them, while she still has the meter she will get a dual fuel discount, a standard tarriff and no standing charge, she can ask for a meter exchange the day she becomes on supply with themselves, this may take a week or 2 wait for that appointment then they will have a wide range of tariffs to choose from, online saver version 6 is the cheapest (dont have to do anything online, can all be done over the phone, silly name for tariff really haha) recieve a dual fuel discount, 6% every bill if they pay by direct debit and be rewarded with nectar points too

xxx

mattcanary

Just be aware, EDF will do a credit-search on your friend before agreeing to change the meters to quarterly ones.
Mind you, I passed a Scottish & Southern credit-check (for the same purpose) even though I have a very bad credit-score (although I do pay my utility bills promptly!)

*depressed*

Hi

Just wanted to let you know edf do not do a credit search when switching meters


xxxx

samhuzz

My OH got the pre-payment meters in my house changed as soon as he moved in. I couldn't do it as I have bad credit (but not with utility bills). I'd also tell your friend to watch with the meter as mine was still set to take off a certain amount of debt from the previous person for some reason and I didn't notice until a gas man came out one time! Oh btw it was British Gas I was with, and I think they did do a credit check on OH. Wouldn't recommend BG to anyone, although that's another story