re-prepayment gas meter

joe134

Hi Guys, Can anyone please tell me if my daughter decides to change from prepayment to direct debit for her gas, and combines it, dual/fuel, will there be a charge for converting the meter ?
Also, does she have to notify her existing gas supplier to change it, or can she change suppliers, and will they do it, providing they are cheaper than her existing one ? I think she,s Eon at present.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi joe

We usually charge £51.06 for each meter we agree to change.

Just a quick heads up, though. We have a fairly stringent policy when it comes to changing from a prepayment to a credit meter.

Not saying this will be the case for your daughter because each request is judged on its individual merits. Just something to be aware of.

To give you an idea. If your daughter rents the property, she needs to have been there for at least 12 months.

If the meter was put in to collect a debt, then it's very unlikely we'll change it.

If not, we'll carry out a credit check and, if all comes back ok, we'll usually agree to change the meter subject to payment of the fee in advance and your daughter agreeing to set up a Monthly Direct Debit for future usage.

As I say, each case is looked at individually and these general guidelines may be modified or waived depending on the circumstances. For instance, if there's vulnerability at the property.

Hope this is of interest joe. Give me a shout if you need any more info as will be happy to help.

Malc

joe134

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

Hi joe

We usually charge £51.06 for each meter we agree to change.

Just a quick heads up, though. We have a fairly stringent policy when it comes to changing from a prepayment to a credit meter.

Not saying this will be the case for your daughter because each request is judged on its individual merits. Just something to be aware of.

To give you an idea. If your daughter rents the property, she needs to have been there for at least 12 months.

If the meter was put in to collect a debt, then it's very unlikely we'll change it.

If not, we'll carry out a credit check and, if all comes back ok, we'll usually agree to change the meter subject to payment of the fee in advance and your daughter agreeing to set up a Monthly Direct Debit for future usage.

As I say, each case is looked at individually and these general guidelines may be modified or waived depending on the circumstances. For instance, if there's vulnerability at the property.

Hope this is of interest joe. Give me a shout if you need any more info as will be happy to help.

Malc

Hi Malc, thanks for reply. She,s a house owner, BUT, she,s just recently got into financial problems, which I am trying to sort. Her partner is named on the bills, the electric is direct debit, and has been for years, no payment problem, .
The gas is prepayment, also has been for years, no reason why, just never changed it.
Now her credit rating is shot, and she needs her name on the bills, due to her partner leaving, just wondered if she could, have gas prepayment meter, changed to same as electric, and both DD/dual fuel. to save money.She,s never failed paying them, just credit cards.which has put paid to her credit rating.any advice would be grateful.:beer:

E.ON_Company_Rep_Chris

Hi Joe

Malc’s not here at the mo, but I understand what you’re saying.

There’s two things that need to happen here. First, as your daughter is going to be paying the bills from now on we need to close down the accounts in her ex-partner’s name and set up new ones in her name. We’ll need some up to date meter readings to do that.

Then, the Direct Debit for the electric will be fine, we’ll just use her account details in future, is it currently coming from a joint bank account with both names on? This might help when it comes to changing the gas meter.

If not, then as we don’t have any payment history for your daughter as the bill payer, we’ll probably still need to do a credit check and the recent problems may affect this.

I understand that the additional discount for paying by Direct Debit helps reduce the costs but remember there’s no standing charge for gas and the unit rates are the same as on a standard credit meter.

Would the extra 8% discount on her bills mean that she’ll save enough in a year to cover the cost of changing the meter?

Sometimes when things are tight a prepayment meter is the best way to budget, so she might want to stay as she is for a while and look at this again when things have settled down.

It’s great that you’re helping her with this and I hope that our advice will mean that she makes the right choice for her needs. Let us know if need any more info

Amanda

joe134

E.ON_Company_Rep_Amanda wrote: »

Hi Joe

Malc’s not here at the mo, but I understand what you’re saying.

There’s two things that need to happen here. First, as your daughter is going to be paying the bills from now on we need to close down the accounts in her ex-partner’s name and set up new ones in her name. We’ll need some up to date meter readings to do that.

Then, the Direct Debit for the electric will be fine, we’ll just use her account details in future, is it currently coming from a joint bank account with both names on? This might help when it comes to changing the gas meter.

If not, then as we don’t have any payment history for your daughter as the bill payer, we’ll probably still need to do a credit check and the recent problems may affect this.

I understand that the additional discount for paying by Direct Debit helps reduce the costs but remember there’s no standing charge for gas and the unit rates are the same as on a standard credit meter.

Would the extra 8% discount on her bills mean that she’ll save enough in a year to cover the cost of changing the meter?

Sometimes when things are tight a prepayment meter is the best way to budget, so she might want to stay as she is for a while and look at this again when things have settled down.

It’s great that you’re helping her with this and I hope that our advice will mean that she makes the right choice for her needs. Let us know if need any more info

Amanda

Hi Amanda, thanks for reply.
This is an awkward one, as her partner is playing silly beggars.
He is not letting her have anything, and he deliberately changed the bills to his name, to get credit for himself.,and the bad debt of my daughters is down to him.
My concern at present is to get her name on all the bills that she has to pay, while he swans off to Spain, for months at a time.
and to get her registered as a good payer again.
That used to be her house, until he moved in, and took over again.
Can she just apply to have her name added to his,on electric DD, as she is joint owner of the property.and IF he moves, she has his name removed?
They do use a joint A/c for all the bills,"when he pays," but he wants her off it, for some reason.I,ve set her up with a Coop A/c in her name only, for her wages.and told her NOT to take her name off joint A/c.
She now has no proof of abode, none of the bills are in her name now, so that,s my priority, and to help her budget, and , never get into debt again.He,s trying to block her at every step, and I need to help her, out manouvre him, if she,s paying the bills, her name should be on them. I, like you think she,s better off with the Gas, staying on the prepayment meter , till she,s in a better situation,:beer: