ScottishPower charging to switch to a credit meter: worth jumping ship?

audigex

Hey

Me and my girlfriend have just moved into a new flat which we'd been promised had a credit meter: once we moved in, we discovered that it was, in fact, a pre-paid meter with one of those stupid key things.

Now, I'm not opposed to the idea of pre-paid electricity - having to keep an eye on my meter and seeing the cash go out as I topped up would probably make me use less power, and I can see the need for those with poor credit ratings etc.... but working fairly long hours, plus a commute, plus shifts and overtime, mean that I don't have the time or will to be keeping an eye on my meter and nipping to the shop. I just want to have electricity in my flat and the company to take some money for it once a month.

So I phoned Scottish Power (our current supplier) and they've told me it will be £50 (ish, it's actually slightly under) to change the meter, plus up to £150 deposit if my credit rating isn't good enough (it should be fine, but still). Now, as I don't own the flat and will only get the benefit temporarily, I don't particularly want to pay out £50 of my own money just to give them my money in a more convenient way. They feel the need to charge, that's fine - but to me, I'd rather have a happy customer with a good credit rating paying via direct debit than an unhappy one on prepaid.

Credit ratings shouldn't be an issue as far as I'm aware, I've got a reasonable job for the size of the flat, had various phone contracts, credit cards and overdrafts which are all manageable (£0/500 on credit card, £800/2000 on my overdraft, both cleared recently and gone back into my overdraft with the move), so it should be fine.

So I'm looking at switching - will any providers switch my meter for free if I take out a new credit account with them?

Thanks

lemontart

you will also need permission from the landlord

audigex

That's fine, my landlord told me it was already on a credit meter so don't really have much ground to object: they were also fine with it when I asked them. I'll get it in writing before I change it, though, thanks.

Wywth

audigex wrote: »

Hey

Me and my girlfriend have just moved into a new flat which we'd been promised had a credit meter: once we moved in, we discovered that it was, in fact, a pre-paid meter with one of those stupid key things.

Now, I'm not opposed to the idea of pre-paid electricity - having to keep an eye on my meter and seeing the cash go out as I topped up would probably make me use less power, and I can see the need for those with poor credit ratings etc.... but working fairly long hours, plus a commute, plus shifts and overtime, mean that I don't have the time or will to be keeping an eye on my meter and nipping to the shop. I just want to have electricity in my flat and the company to take some money for it once a month.

So I phoned Scottish Power (our current supplier) and they've told me it will be £50 (ish, it's actually slightly under) to change the meter, plus up to £150 deposit if my credit rating isn't good enough (it should be fine, but still). Now, as I don't own the flat and will only get the benefit temporarily, I don't particularly want to pay out £50 of my own money just to give them my money in a more convenient way. They feel the need to charge, that's fine - but to me, I'd rather have a happy customer with a good credit rating paying via direct debit than an unhappy one on prepaid.

Credit ratings shouldn't be an issue as far as I'm aware, I've got a reasonable job for the size of the flat, had various phone contracts, credit cards and overdrafts which are all manageable (£0/500 on credit card, £800/2000 on my overdraft, both cleared recently and gone back into my overdraft with the move), so it should be fine.

So I'm looking at switching - will any providers switch my meter for free if I take out a new credit account with them?

Thanks

This link explains how the large suppliers process such a request:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/switch-prepaid-gas-electricity#freecreditmeter

SwanJon

lemontart wrote: »

you will also need permission from the landlord

You don't really need permission from the landlord - it's you who pays the bill, not them. So long as no further alterations are made to the flat (and there usually isn't), the landlord's property is not affected.
It is, of course, courteous to let them know, and they may ask you to return it to a PAYG meter before you move out.

Wywth

SwanJon wrote: »

You don't really need permission from the landlord - it's you who pays the bill, not them. So long as no further alterations are made to the flat (and there usually isn't), the landlord's property is not affected.
It is, of course, courteous to let them know, and they may ask you to return it to a PAYG meter before you move out.

Yes you should.

If you don't return a property in the same condition asit was originally let (fair wear & tear excepted) then the LL can recover any reasonable costs incurred in returning it to that condition (and that's what the security deposit is taken for).

Of course, if the renter returns the property to the same condition, then there won't be any issue:)

MSE has a good article on this
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/switch-prepaid-gas-electricity

audigex

Thanks guys, as above though, I don't think they'll have a problem (they told me, and were under the impression themselves, that it was on a credit meter anyway) and I'll inform them beforehand.

Richie-from-the-Boro

- or
- use SP's online topup
- called PowerPod

audigex

Thanks, I hadn't heard of that and it may be a short-term solution to avoid having to go to the shop (I'm often not home until the shops would be shut, and my girlfriend works odd hours too)

I'm still going to look to move away from SP though, being sent to several different shops to obtain the key, none of which had it in stock, after having a weekend unable to get in contact with them and with no idea if my power was going to go off any second... that's not my idea of customer service.

I'm not rich by any means, but I'm earning enough money that I don't need to be on PAYG to avoid risking debt: I want to be on a credit meter to keep my costs down and because frankly I just want electricity in my flat and not to worry about it. I want to just be able to take my electricity/heat/water/TV and broadband/taxes for granted so that I can spend my evenings and weekends relaxing rather than chasing errands.

Spending over an hour on a co-op treasure hunt to try to find a key in order to pay over the odds for my power isn't my idea of relaxing.

marco_ce

hello everybody
how long usually takes to have the meter readings replaced with prepaid ones?
are they working fine and have you ever had any problems with Scottish power?
I was told you can top them up over the internet
many thanks