Installation of a prepayment meter (meters in communal area)

Geordiebenjii

Hello moneysavers. I am having a bit of a pickle getting a prepayment facility fitted for my electricity. I live in a block of flats where the electric meters are located in a communal area (behind a glass doored cupboard).
When I first moved in to this property, I was informed by my housing officer that many of the properties in this building are fitted with prepayment meters, he also said that it was my right to get one installed for free (which would be located just above my fusebox inside my property). With my old supplier, npower, I tried to have one fitted. But, after waiting for the engineer for some six weeks, I was informed that one could not be installed here. I asked the energy team of my local council to try and get me one fitted, but this came to the same result.
I have since switched supplier to SSE Ebico, as I was planning to do once I had the prepayment meter installed.
Do you think there is a chance of me getting a prepayment meter installed? I would like this so it is much easier for me to budget on my low income. I slightly felt as though the employees at npower were asked to discourage the installation of such meters simply because it would cost them money.

[Deleted User]

If I understand you correctly you would like a prepayment meter fitted inside your property and not in the communal meter cupboard. I think there would be no problems in having your credit meter changed to a prepay free of charge, but having it moved away from the communal meter cupboard would incur heavy costs, at least £500 I would have thought. That is the sort of price householders pay to have their meters moved to an outside meter box.
Is the meter being in a meter cupboard a problem for you, are you disabled ?
The meter itself is not the suppliers responsibilty and is owned by the local distributer, they levy their own costings to move a meter. I am sure your housing officer is incorrect saying you have a "right " to have it moved inside your property free of charge.

macman

Meter changes are not free 'by right', although some supplier do not charge. Otherwise it's usually about £50 per meter. If free, it's usually for a switch from a PPM to a credit meter, as PPM's cost the supplier far more to run.
You'll also pay around 6% more for a PPM, as you then can't get the cheaper online discount tariffs.
Moving the meter position is not a minor job and will (as advised above) never be free unless there are access issues involved.

Joyful

Why not see if your supplier has an online tariff that you can enter readings Monthly. You could also pay by Direct debit or a card.

cally6008

SSE Ebico charges all customers the same, regardless of how they pay or if they have credit or pre payment meters