How exactly does pre pay work

Viberduo

Each company seems to do it a little differently.

Just as I recently changed to a new a new supploer which added £7 credit on and has no standing charge, when it got down to the last £1 I tried to be thrifty(took about 4 days to use the £7) then all of a sudden it told me I was £7 in debt

I was told I would get £7 welcome credit but it seems to have just somehow reset my meter to £0 and instead of £7 credit gave me £7 of the £10 emergency!

I then let it run down to £10 to check it wasnt a mistake then added a £12 voucher I had been given which made me about £1.60 in credit and it swalled it up and said my balance was £7 then credit came off this £7 i.e it went down to like £6.20 5.80 or whatever and when that ran out it says £7 then goes up so £7.10. £.8.40 or whatever.

What are the utility company doing? No standing charges on it despite the meter going down even when its run out(though strange things like 10p one day, nothing for 2 days then 20p)

SwanJon

It's a little bit difficult to follow your post.

Who are you with? I only know of one supplier that offers no standing charge - Ebico - so I'll assume it is with them - if not who are you with and what tariff.

Is this for gas or electricity?
For gas, start with the card out and the screen on. Press and hold the red A button until the screen changes. It will show a number in the corner of the screen (either 00 or 27). each time you press and release the button the details on the screen will change. Go through them and make a note of what it says on the following screens
27, 26, 25, 00, 01, 02, 03, 22,23,24

For electricity the screen has a letter on, which changes when you press the blue button.
Go through them and make a not of what it says on the following screens
F, I, K S ,T

With this we can work out exactly what your meter is doing.

Viberduo

EDIT : partly resolved.

I spoke to utility company who told me I didnt get free credit, I only get that when the new smart meters are installed, the £7 would be emergency but do not understand as it should be £5 emergency.

As for it rolling over after it reached its limit I remember it did this on a Saturday so it must of been just doing its natural thing as I did notice it stopped on Sunday morning

[Deleted User]

Viberduo wrote: »

EDIT : partly resolved.

I spoke to utility company who told me I didnt get free credit, I only get that when the new smart meters are installed, the £7 would be emergency but do not understand as it should be £5 emergency.

As for it rolling over after it reached its limit I remember it did this on a Saturday so it must of been just doing its natural thing as I did notice it stopped on Sunday morning

There will be a standing charge, its on one of the screens, prob "I" and in the order of £1.40 to £1.80 per week. Failure to credit the meter at all will build the standing charge up as standing charge debt on screen "A " Nice to hear the suppliers are getting the smart prepay under way soon...badly needed