Pre payment charge to change

chriz1

We have both our gas and electric on pre payment meters and im aware that it worls out you get less for your money by doing so,also found through comparison sites that there are cheaper suppliers out there were currently with Ebico or both apparantly when i rang them to get the meters changed so we could do monthly direct debit they told us that we have to pay £50 per meter to have them changed.
Is there any other way i can get them changed for free?
We had them changed in our last house for nothing!

Bugalugs

British Gas will change them for free - subject to credit check.

KimYeovil

Well done, Ebico. Why should you not pay to change the meters - who do you think should pay for it? Do you dislike your bathroom suite - why not see if you can get it changed for free?

Unfortunately you can ask around and find an unfair supplier that will change your meters by charging their other customers. Should be completely forbidden, though.

t0rt0ise

British Gas change them for free. I don't know of any other company that does now.

Good ol' Kim, you never disappoint!

KimYeovil

(Pah, I did include the appropriate help in addition to the harrumph. I must be weakening.) But I fail to see why anyone would not want an honest, fair universal requirement that all suppliers must charge for the change of meter. I have no objection to some universal cross subsidy (as illustrated by a flat £50 charge nationwide). Obviously others hold British Gas customers with less regard than me. You are right - their customers are scum and deserve to be unfairly exploited.

chriz1

i take it then you have to sign upto British Gas for a certain period of time.

mattcanary

Companies change meters to prepayment ones for free so they should do the same the other way round - as long as the customer passes a credit check.

It's a money-making exercise. As soon as a customer starts getting into debt they want to fit a prepayment meter to the property. They know darn well that prepayment meter customers can't get Direct Debit discounts, etc so they're making extra money in this way the more prepayment meter customers they have.

OP, if you push Ebico har enough they may relent. Certainly some suppliers will do that in some instances (dependant probably upon which member of staff you speak to)

KimYeovil

mattcanary wrote: »

Companies change meters to prepayment ones for free so they should do the same the other way round - as long as the customer passes a credit check.

Utter rot. It is not done cost-free. It costs labour and materials. Other customers are paying for it.

mattcanary wrote: »

It's a money-making exercise. As soon as a customer starts getting into debt they want to fit a prepayment meter to the property. They know darn well that prepayment meter customers can't get Direct Debit discounts, etc so they're making extra money in this way the more prepayment meter customers they have.

Utter rot. Despite the difference in prices the prepayment meter customers are still being subsidised by other customers. The evidence is the difference in prices does not make up for the premium in costs of a prepayment meter.

You usually post more sensibly, Matt. It appears it is the canary-half that has been let at the keyboard today.