Moving house - Scottish Power want £50 to remove prepay meter

DragonQ

I'm currently with Scottish Power for electricity with a normal meter and want to take my account and tariff with me when I move in a month's time. However, my new flat has a prepay meter for electricity. I'm on the cheapest tariff right now so switching to a prepay one will undoubtedly cost me a lot more.

I see on the MSE website that E.On, EDF and British Gas replace prepay meters with normal ones for free, but Scottish Power apparently doesn't. It would be cheaper to switch suppliers than to pay Scottish Power £50 to replace the meter.

So what should I do? Will Scottish Power replace the meter for free if I explain that it'd be cheaper for me to switch than pay them?

macman

DragonQ wrote: »

I'm currently with Scottish Power for electricity with a normal meter and want to take my account and tariff with me when I move in a month's time. However, my new flat has a prepay meter for electricity. I'm on the cheapest tariff right now so switching to a prepay one will undoubtedly cost me a lot more.

I see on the MSE website that E.On, EDF and British Gas replace prepay meters with normal ones for free, but Scottish Power apparently doesn't. It would be cheaper to switch suppliers than to pay Scottish Power £50 to replace the meter.

So what should I do? Will Scottish Power replace the meter for free if I explain that it'd be cheaper for me to switch than pay them?

A PPM costs the same as the supplier's Standard tariff. Maybe 6% more than an online discount tariff. So certainly not a 'lot more'.
Yes, you can use the possibility of leaving as a negotiating tactic. But remember that you may be asked for a first year deposit and will be credit checked.

Wywth

DragonQ wrote: »

I'm currently with Scottish Power for electricity with a normal meter and want to take my account and tariff with me when I move in a month's time. However, my new flat has a prepay meter for electricity. I'm on the cheapest tariff right now so switching to a prepay one will undoubtedly cost me a lot more.

I see on the MSE website that E.On, EDF and British Gas replace prepay meters with normal ones for free, but Scottish Power apparently doesn't. It would be cheaper to switch suppliers than to pay Scottish Power £50 to replace the meter.

So what should I do? Will Scottish Power replace the meter for free if I explain that it'd be cheaper for me to switch than pay them?

I doubt it as there would be nothing preventing you from switching supplier after they did replace the meters for free for you.

Is the new property even with SP at present? If not you will have to register as a customer of the current providers first anyway.

Use this to then find the best supplier for you
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/you-switch-gas-electricity

... and then bear in mind this information on getting PPMs replaced with credit meters.

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/c/news/how-to-switch-from-a-prepayment-energy-meter/0014939/

Note, credit meters are often only provided subject to status .... and you probably have quite a good status with SP if you were with then on credit meters previously.

DragonQ

macman wrote: »

A PPM costs the same as the supplier's Standard tariff. Maybe 6% more than an online discount tariff. So certainly not a 'lot more'.

I'm on a fixed price deal with no exit penalties. I've looked at Scottish Power's standard tariff and it's about £100 per year more.

macman wrote: »

Yes, you can use the possibility of leaving as a negotiating tactic. But remember that you may be asked for a first year deposit and will be credit checked.

I don't understand why I need to be credit checked or need to pay a deposit. The prepayment meter is nothing to do with me, it'd be to do with some previous owner of the place. I've always paid gas and electricity by direct debit and haven't ever missed a payment.

Wywth wrote: »

I doubt it as there would be nothing preventing you from switching supplier after they did replace the meters for free for you.

Well their tariff is still the cheapest and likely will be for at least a year (unless I factor in their charge for changing the meter) so I wouldn't move.

Wywth wrote: »

Is the new property even with SP at present? If not you will have to register as a customer of the current providers first anyway.

No idea. Why would the current providers need to get involved, I thought I could just move my account to the new place like for phone, broadband or TV?

Wywth

macman wrote: »

A PPM costs the same as the supplier's Standard tariff. Maybe 6% more than an online discount tariff. So certainly not a 'lot more'.
Yes, you can use the possibility of leaving as a negotiating tactic. But remember that you may be asked for a first year deposit and will be credit checked.

That's incorrect. (except for the bit about the suppliers standard tariff)

The 6% is a typical discount a supplier will give for agreeing to pay monthly by DD

Ofgem says a typical average household bill is £1420 p.a.

MSE Martin says such a user can save upwards of £250 p.a. by moving to the cheapest (credit) tariff.

I make that about a 17.5% saving :beer:

Wywth

DragonQ wrote: »

No idea. Why would the current providers need to get involved, I thought I could just move my account to the new place like for phone, broadband or TV?

Well you thought wrong ...

macman

DragonQ wrote: »

I'm on a fixed price deal with no exit penalties. I've looked at Scottish Power's standard tariff and it's about £100 per year more.


I don't understand why I need to be credit checked or need to pay a deposit. The prepayment meter is nothing to do with me, it'd be to do with some previous owner of the place. I've always paid gas and electricity by direct debit and haven't ever missed a payment.


Well their tariff is still the cheapest and likely will be for at least a year (unless I factor in their charge for changing the meter) so I wouldn't move.


No idea. Why would the current providers need to get involved, I thought I could just move my account to the new place like for phone, broadband or TV?

Because an energy account on a credit meter is potentially unlimited credit, of course you may be credit checked.
You are in a deemed account with the existing provider from the day you move in and use the services, so you can't switch until you have first registered for an account with them. It's not possible to transfer energy accounts from one propery to another. You terminate your existing account when you move out.

DragonQ

macman wrote: »

Because an energy account on a credit meter is potentially unlimited credit, of course you may be credit checked.

But I've already been credit checked at my current address. Surely it's only necessary with a new provider?

macman wrote: »

You are in a deemed account with the existing provider from the day you move in and use the services, so you can't switch until you have first registered for an account with them. It's not possible to transfer energy accounts from one propery to another. You terminate your existing account when you move out.

Well that sucks. It can take like 6 weeks to change supplier though so that means I'm going to have to pay higher rates for that time. I also wouldn't be able to keep my existing tariff since it's no longer on offer so I'd end up on a higher priced tariff regardless.

Also, if British Gas is the current supplier, for example, and I asked them to replace the meter for free, would that lock me into a contract with them?

DragonQ

Well this is interesting. Called Southern Electric (my gas supplier is Ebico) and they said that because I gave them so much notice, they will do the supplier switch for the day I move in (so no need to deal with the current supplier). Is there any reason why Scottish Power can't/won't do the same with the electricity supply?

[Deleted User]

OP has a right to be miffed, one can have the worst credit history in the world and move into a new property with credit meters and no suppliers will credit check you. Its only when you want to change a prepay they check.

cajef

I had been with Scottish Power for over eight years in my previous property, when I move into this property four years ago it had prepayment meters with another supplier.

As I had been a long standing customer with a good payment record and always paid monthly by direct debit they agreed that if I switch to them after I moved in they would change the meters for free.

Maybe worth contacting them and asking.