Cheap Prepay Gas & Elec Article

footyguy

cheddar wrote: »

...Is it really a lot of faffing about? Switch supplier, get new card/key, wait 4 weeks, change meter, set up DD, done. ....

Agreed, if you plan to stay with EDF.

But I was responding to bluetail14 who only seemed to be considering EDF to avoid paying the meter change charge and then maybe planned to switch supplier again. That would add another 4-6 weeks to the process (on a presumably expensive tariff) which would take us up to almost Easter (assuming no other delays)

cheddar wrote: »

...
If duel fuel on credit isn't the cheapest then what is? It comes up as cheaper than PPM every single time for me....

Confused now!

Dual fuel means buying both your gas & electricity from the same supplier. Comparing prices of a PPM tariff to a credit meter tariff is totally different

The alternative to buying gas & electricity from the same supplier is obviously to buy them from different suppliers

cheddar

footyguy wrote: »

Agreed, if you plan to stay with EDF.

But I was responding to bluetail14 who only seemed to be considering EDF to avoid paying the meter change charge and then maybe planned to switch supplier again. That would add another 4-6 weeks to the process (on a presumably expensive tariff) which would take us up to almost Easter (assuming no other delays)


Dual fuel means buying both your gas & electricity from the same supplier. Comparing prices of a PPM tariff to a credit meter tariff is totally different

The alternative to buying gas & electricity from the same supplier is obviously to buy them from different suppliers

Ah understood, sorry!

And that makes more sense, thanks for the help everyone

footyguy

bluetail14 wrote: »

footyguy, topcashback site offers up to £52.50 if you switch this week to nPower and E.On. so i wondered if that would cover the cost of our meter change..

Thanks. I see the nPower cashback now (offer expires in 2 days!)
I still don't actually see the E.on offer but I haven't looked too hard.

Remember you can usually get £30-£40 cashback on many dual fuel switches anyway (using comparison sites linked to here on MSE), so the offer is only really worth £12.50-£22.50 extra.

But yes, if you do get the £52.50, it would cover most of the cost of nPower changing your electric PPM meter to a credit meter. (if they agree to do so)

In your position, I'd be tempted to contact a supplier directly and get it agreed that any switch request is conditional on them agreeing to change the meter for you once they have you on supply ... but then you'd miss out on possible cashback.

bluetail14

we've contacted First Utility and they've agreed to put in a new credit meter for free (hurray!). had to do it on the phone so no cashback for the switch. what they said is that if we dont pass a credit check, they'd ask for a £300 deposit which sounds fair and we'd get a new meter anyway as we wanted a fixed tariff. so im happy

mattweeden

I am looking to switch from my pre payment meters. I have found a couple of deals that will save me money. I am with Ecotrcity at the moment who say they willl charge £120 to change the meters. Is it easier to change the meters with them and then look to move. Or can you move to a new supplier and them to chnage your meters at the same time??

slenderkitten

i just moved into a 3 bed mid terrace house its costing me almost £5 a day just to put the radiators on (gas central heating). I have the radiators in the two empty bedrooms turned to the minimum setting to stop any problems as they advise. the kitchen is the same but have two radiators in the lounge one in the hallway and one of those towel rails that heat up in the bathroom and one in my bedroom. all thermostats are between 2 and 3 setting and i'm on british gas standard tariff pay as you go.

British Gas rates i am on is as follows:
Gas
26p per day standing charge
4.53 per kilowatt

Electric
26 p standing charge
13.38p per kilowatt

can anyone help me find another company that may be cheaper than them i'm on my mobile and have no internet at home to check.

Thank your help.

Dyfed38

British Gas removed the credit meters from a small cottage that I rent out, and installed pre-payment meters without bothering to tell me. When the tenant left I asked BG to replace the credit meters, because they're easier to use and more convenient. BG had the barefaced cheek to refuse, saying that I had failed the Experian test!! I pay all my bills, in full and on time. Always. However, when I phoned Eon they agreed to become my utilities supplier with effect from this week, and they will install credit meters for me, free of charge. Moral of the story - don't waste your time with British Gas.

LarysaRose

Hi, I've been reading through this thread and wondered if anyone had any advice for me?


I'm renting a 1 bed flat with my bf and we both work full-time. We spend about £20 on electric (pre-pay meter) every 5-6 days! We only spend about £10 p/m on gas, the hob is the only thing that requires gas.


I switched to British Gas after E-on's appauling service. I don't quite understand how we're paying so much! The boiler is electric which to be honest I don't even turn on because I worked out it costs £1.40 per hour which is a joke!


I thought about going to DD because I heard it's a lot cheaper.


Any advice would be really helpful.

PurpleGirlie

Hi! Please, help me - I can't put this off any longer!
Background is, I've been with NPower for my electric for many years, but since moving to my council bungalow (due to increasing disabilities) about a decade ago, I was pushed onto a PPM because I'd been behind with payments at my previous address. When a gas supply was first connected to the property, around six/seven years ago, BG fitted a credit meter for the gas with no problems, then or since, including a credit check.
I've increasingly struggled with the PPM, as you have to go to the shop/post office to top up, but my disabilities have now left me housebound, and I get all my shopping delivered - I nearly always end up going into the 'emergency' period, and have to beg a neighbour to go for me... Even worse, the government 'refund' comes from NP as a voucher that you have to take to the post office with your PPM 'key' (plus two forms of ID!) - and I've missed out due to the deadlines for 'claiming' twice already!
So here's what I need help with - obviously, I need to sort a credit meter for my electric, but I want to switch from NP, for sure, as their customer service is abysmal! I've never switched from either supplier, and I don't know what to do next - find a company that will switch out my electric PPM for a credit meter, and won't charge for it, or get NP to do it? Should I check with BG if they could do it on a dual fuel basis? Maybe look at other companies for their dual fuel deals first? Look at switching gas supplier now, or wait to see what happens with the electric meter and supplier - as the latter seems to take a while, what if a deal comes about/changes in the meantime? etc, etc - aagghh!
I'm looking to pay by DD for both, and I've had no problems with credit for at least five years now - I'm not in employment, but on ESA and DLA highest rates... BUT, confession time - I've no idea what I pay for either gas (yes, even though it's on DD) OR electric!
Please, is there anyone willing to go step by step with me? I've been putting this off for literally YEARS - and I'm scared of getting it all wrong... I just want to get everything on DD, at a decent price, so I don't have to worry about it all the time - I honestly just don't have the energy! (if you'll excuse the pun!)

Siamblue

Hi, My dilemma is this , I live in a privately rented house but the bills are in my name, so the landlord has no problem with me changing the meter at the moment it is on Ecotricity prepay,
I am paying roughly £20 for gas and £15 per week on elec, but a lot of the shops around my area are having problems with their prepay machines, the other week I tried 4 different shops and all said their terminals weren't working in the end I has to walk a 4 mile round trip and the house was nearly out of electricity when I returned home .
So what I want to do is change to the cheapest tariff and have a monthly or quarterly bill on DD,
I phoned Ecotricity yesterday and they said I can change to a credit meter free of charge for both of them, but want I want to know would it be cheaper and better to just go on a quarterly bill as Ecotricity said their prepay is the same tariff as the credit meters, I just want to get my bills down as I am paying nearly £1300 a year.
Also if they take their prepay meters away will they have to install new meters that are non credit meters to go on a DD bill tariff?

Regards and many thanks for taking the time to read and respond to my message.

Gary.