Pre-Pay meter to Credit meter?

Jamcee

Hi all,

I've just moved into a flat (13th November). The previous tenant had run up significant debts with Southern (Atlantic?) Electric and had a pre-pay meter fitted that was collecting £10 / week.


The day previous to my moving in date I had a conversation with Southern Electric who agreed to send out a new key with the initial debt of £55 on it and they would then send an engineer out to reset the meter.

When I moved in, the new key was used to wipe the £55 debt (although this had risen to £57.50 ish) and I put a further £10 on to get the electric back on. I then had to put another £10 in on the following day as the balance had gone down to £1.

Tuesday morning the engineer comes out and resets the machine. Wednesday night I get home and the electric is off. Meter reads £0.12 in debt. Another £10 on the meter.

I've spoken to Southern Electric about getting a credit meter fitted, but they want £52 for the privalidge. E.on will only take my supply on a pre-pay meter for 12 months before fitting a credit meter. Obviously, in light of the pending price hike, I don't want to go to BG.

The problem is, the pre-pay meter is messing my cashflow up completely. I'm being penalised for the previous tenants misdemeanors.

What are, if any, my options. After the move, I'm pretty skint - considering I've had to start again, buying pots and pans, furniture etc. I get paid on the 1st of the month and as things stand, I've got £10 to last me until then! I can "borrow the money to get the meter changed, but i'd rather not.

Thanks in advance!

Jam

divadee

southern electric dont normally charge to change to a credit meter but they do a credit check.

I would suggest calling them up and asking again.

Premier_2

I've seen other indications that SSE charge £52 to provide a credit meter on this board previously (though that was with Swalec iirc)

As i understand it, you are upset that you are currently being penalised because of a debt on the PPM that isn't yours ... so that should be the focus of your attention at this time. i.e. not to be charged for a debt that isn't yours.

You seem to suggest you have a modern key meter whereby the debt will be removed as soon as you use your key. This is how it's supposed to work, so I'm not sure what the engineer was sent out to reset?

However, the realisty is that it can take a few attempts before the debt is taken off the meter.
As it seems you've already used the key 3 times and still have the debt, then I suggest you contact the supplier and complain.

Having said that, you also suggest the debt has been removed?
Are you sure? Is the meter trying to collect accumulated standing charges then? (although I thought that was limited )
Or are you just using that amount of energy? If you can't afford to feed the meter with a tenner, how are you going to cope if you have a credit meter and get a bill for several hundred quid?