Pre-payment meter advice

chris175

Hi all,

I'm moving house this next week into a property with pre-payment gas and electric meters. We're currently on normal meters and have never used pre-payment type so was after some advice with them.

I've requested a home move with my supplier (British Gas) and they are taking over the supply from e.on in late july they are then going to change the meters free of charge to billed type.
So this leaves me with about 1 month on e.on pre-pay, then 1 week of BG pre-pay. I've already requested a new card and key from e.on as apparently there is currently a debt on the meter.

So, the big question is, how do i use these cards and if they are pre-pay how does it get in debt, surely it just cuts you off when your credit is used up??

Any other help/advice for a pre-pay newbie is greatly accepted!!!

Many thanks in anticipation

Chris

HappyMJ

You need to go to the shop with your card/key and some cash and top it up. Don't put too much on as you will find it almost impossible to get any credit back when they change the meter. Then come home and put the card/key in the meter. Try to time it so you run out of emergency credit on the day they change the meter to get the best value. This will require almost daily meter readings to get the timing just right.

Don't worry about the week of British Gas prepayment just use emergency credit for the week. They'll sort each other out later.

hbk619

chris175 wrote: »

So, the big question is, how do i use these cards and if they are pre-pay how does it get in debt, surely it just cuts you off when your credit is used up??

You'll have a certain amount of "emergency credit" (normally up to 5 pounds), so if you run out of credit at christmas and can't top up you won't freeze/sit in the dark.

Unfortunately e.on count under £2 on the meter as needing emergency credit, despite you having money on it. The meter is supposed to show an E or something to indicate you're using it.

I think co-op are the only supermarkets to do the top up but most newsagents do, always get a receipt just in case. But as happy HappyMJ says, just take it to a shop pay the money, pop it in the meter, wait for a beep and some kind of confirmation on the display and take it out (or as we did with our gas leave it in so it can't be lost!). Simples

chris175

Ah, so that'll be the whole point of them green "Pay-point" signs you see in corner shops etc?

So, the emergency credit, is that for when you run out of credit, and it stops you from being cold and in the dark i presume? how does it work, is there a button on the meter or something?

If i just use emergency credit for the week until my meter swap, i take it they will just add that debt to my next bill once i'm on direct debits again? i was told i couldn't transfer credit from the pre-pay to the billed account, but i take it debts can.......funny how that's the case isn't it!!

thanks for your help so far.

split_second

find out which payment network your meters are part of, i'm with scottish power and ours are paypoint, other suppliers use payzone, look out for the respective symbol outside the shop, if you are with paypoint then the paypoint website lets you search for paypoint shops in your postcode area

chris175

Right will do, there is a bargain booze just around the corner so hopefully they'll be able to do it, saves having to go into town!

HappyMJ

chris175 wrote: »

i was told i couldn't transfer credit from the pre-pay to the billed account, but i take it debts can.......funny how that's the case isn't it!!

They don't usually add the emergency credit debt to your normal account so it is basically £5 worth of free leccy if you time it right. It's quite hard to get the timing right because if you run out 2 days before you have to add the £5 to repay the emergency and another £5 back on to be able to use more leccy which is totally lost as at this time of the year you won't be able to use £5 over 2 days. Do lots of washing on the last night on the prepayment meter if you need to use up credit.

stewie_griffin

chris175 wrote: »

Right will do, there is a bargain booze just around the corner so hopefully they'll be able to do it, saves having to go into town!

Put your postcode in to the Paypoint website and it'll give you a list of outlets

http://www.paypoint.co.uk/locator.aspx

broxis11

As you have internet access, you may wish to add `Home energy top up` to your account. BG will send you a device which plugs into your computer and whenever you need to top up, you can go online and top up securely using your debit or credit card. You then simply remove the card/key and stick it into your meter which will make the process more convenient for you.

The card/key will still work in the Pay point outlets should you ever wsh to top up there.

There is no charge for the device but if you don`t top up once in the 1st month then BG will charge you a tenner for it.

You can read about it here > http://www.britishgas.co.uk/topup

hbk619

chris175 wrote: »

Ah, so that'll be the whole point of them green "Pay-point" signs you see in corner shops etc?

So, the emergency credit, is that for when you run out of credit, and it stops you from being cold and in the dark i presume? how does it work, is there a button on the meter or something?

With our gas meter I was told we'd need to push a button to accept it, yet somehow ended up in debt. Our electric meter only has one button so I assume it would just display an E when needed. Best bet would be to check with e.on or BG

http://www.eonenergy.com/At-Home/ExistingCustomers/Understanding-Prepayment-Meters/Top-up-your-credit.htm?WT.mc_id=TOP_UP_&WT.svl=8

to find somewhere to top up for e on

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/HelpAndAdvice/LookUp/?SXI=17,CASE=1048

bg emergency credit

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/HelpAndAdvice/LookUp/?SXI=17,CASE=715

First few lines make a good point, you might need to turn things off and on again if you go into emergency credit.