Switching from Prepay meters

Porridge19

Hi,

This is my first post and I'm hoping I can get some advice.

I have had prepayment meters for my gas and electric for years now but I would like to change over to a credit meter as from what I've read in the press I will be slightly better off.

Has anybody made this change recently and was it straightforward?

Thanks.

Rubidium

It should be straightforward. Since April 2016, none of the big six suppliers charge to change prepayment meters over to credit meters. However, they will require that your energy account is debt free, and some may run a credit check. Contact your supplier to get the ball rolling.

If your current energy supplier charges for the meter change, consider switching to a supplier that won't.

You may be offered a smart meters but it is best to decline these at the moment until they implement the second generation meters that will allow easy switching between suppliers, allowing you to get the best deal available.

footyguy

Porridge19 wrote: »

Hi,

This is my first post and I'm hoping I can get some advice.

I have had prepayment meters for my gas and electric for years now but I would like to change over to a credit meter as from what I've read in the press I will be slightly better off.

Has anybody made this change recently and was it straightforward?

Thanks.

Very simple, assuming a supplier will give you a credit meter. Once agreed, an appointment is made to get an engineer to come and switch your meter for you.

This MSE article explains more:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/switch-prepaid-gas-electricity#freecreditmeter

[Deleted User]

Switching from prepay to credit will have four of the big 6 do a credit check (BG, Eon, Npower and Scot Power ) and its a "hard check " which leaves a footprint. SSE run a "soft " credit check but amazingly EDF do not even run a credit check at all ! So all you people with a lousy credit record switch to EDF first, then switch around.
Thanks Rubidium for the info about the 11th April 2016 new rule, I was nt aware of that.Scottish Power were really ripping off their customers charging £125 a meter to rid themselves of prepays. I will definitely let my Scot Power customers in on that good news. It should really be made known to every Scot Power prepay user by post of the free charges as it would encourage many to switch to credit meters.
There may be a few conditions applied for a free change, eg Npower will only change free with the landlords permission and deal with the bill payer only and need 6 to 9 months good payment history and only do two meters free in any 12 month period.
I would say that the differences from prepay to credit meters can be described as massive rather than slight..eg BG standard tariff is 12.2 p kwh, whilst my last BG credit meter was on 8.2 p kwhr, I ve now gone even cheaper with BGs white label supplier Sainsburys Energy and gone slightly better at 7.9 p kwh

robti

So from what I can gather I'm with sp on a dual prepayment meter for about 10 years now as I ran a debt up but been in credit since ( what I mean always have at least £50 in both meters at all times).

Now want to change to credit meters, so I just apply to edf for a dual fuel tariffs and that's it ?

[Deleted User]

robti wrote: »

So from what I can gather I'm with sp on a dual prepayment meter for about 10 years now as I ran a debt up but been in credit since ( what I mean always have at least £50 in both meters at all times).

Now want to change to credit meters, so I just apply to edf for a dual fuel tariffs and that's it ?

Scottish Power can t charge you now so you may as well get them to switch you to credit meters. Before April 10 th they would`ve charged over £100 a meter. You sound like you would fulfil the conditions for a free switch being debt free and credit on meters.

LocoLoco

Porridge19 wrote: »

Hi,

This is my first post and I'm hoping I can get some advice.

I have had prepayment meters for my gas and electric for years now but I would like to change over to a credit meter as from what I've read in the press I will be slightly better off.

Has anybody made this change recently and was it straightforward?

Thanks.

Recently changed over and yes, it was very straightforward. There was a bit of time on the phone going through various bits and pieces and setting up direct debit and so on and then they booked the engineers to come out. Separate teams, one for gas, one for electric but both on the same day and very nice, polite, tidy workers. Meant I gave the meter cupboard an overdue clear out as well! They have since sent me a bill for my pay as you go account which doesn't make any sense so I've emailed them about that but I assume it's some sort of technical error and will be sorted quickly

robti

Thanks for the quick reply, the reason I asked about edf was that it was that they don't do a hard credit check so although I check via noodle that everything is upto date I'm always worried about doing a hard check and it showing on my file, don't know why lol

footyguy

robti wrote: »

So from what I can gather I'm with sp on a dual prepayment meter for about 10 years now as I ran a debt up but been in credit since ( what I mean always have at least £50 in both meters at all times).

Now want to change to credit meters, so I just apply to edf for a dual fuel tariffs and that's it ?

I suggest you phone EDF to see if they will agree in principle to providing you credit meters if you were to switch to them.

Because the process is that you will have to switch to EDF as a PPM customer, and then ask them if they will change your meters to credit ones (if they refuse, it will all have been a waste of time)