£7 debt taken off each £10

daviecooper

What I'm about to say is tough for me as I live with anxiety and depression, but I will give it a go...

With anxiety I find it tough to speak up, I am getting help with a support company, SAMH..

The thing is, I got a message on my quantum pre-pay meter saying to call help, it took me over a year to speak to my support worker and SEE Hydro..
When I eventually spoke up to them , the company came out and fixed the problem in less than a min and I had my heating on again...

But...

Each of the last £10 I have topped up through my gas top up card.. I placed the card into the machine and it registered the £10, but each time it took £7 'for debt' so I only get £3 each time from each of the top ups...
Losing £7 is huge for me as its getting cold now as benefits isnt a lot so every penny means something more than ever for me.

I will contact my support worker when he comes on Wed and hopefully this will be explained to us..
I never had a problem like this prior to the call help message...

In the meantime does anyone have any idea why this is happening.. any help will ease my mind.

Thanks for reading.

spiro

When you top up a meter the 1st things it will deduct are any emergency credit used, outstanding standing charges and outstanding debt. The meter collects debt at an agreed weekly rate which can be seen on one of the screens so you need to check what this is.

Autumnella

Even when you aren't using your gas a daily standing charge still needs to be paid, normally about 20-30p a day. If this isn't paid or when you're in emergency credit it starts to cllect as a debt on the meter, which is collected back at 70% of whwtever you top up. If you press the red button (think it's twice) it'll tell youhow much you owe.

If you can't afford this try calling your supplier, telling them your situation and see if they will reset the meter and and load what you owe to the meter as a deebt to be collected back at a more affordable weekly amount.

daviecooper

Thanks you so much for the replies, my mind is buzzing just now as to why the debt is coming off, and for what reason it is happening...

I use Ebico ltd for gas and electric but they send me cards for SSE.

On Ebico's website they state there is zero standing charge and that I only for the energy I use.
Whenever the money has ran to zero in the machine (which has rarely happened to me) during the next top up a small charge is taken for slightly running under...

I'll wait till wednesday and hopefully my support worker will contact them too see what it is im paying back and how much is still to pay.

LewisHamilton

If you are struggling to pay the current debt recovery rate then the supplier should change this to a more affordable recovery rate unless you are already on the minimum debt recovery rate. In that case, if you are on benefits then fuel direct could be an option - I would look into these two options and ask the supplier for advice.

Swipe

So does a pre-pay meter allow someone to go into arrears? I'd always assumed they just cut the supply when the credit runs out?

Biscuit_Tin

Swipe wrote: »

So does a pre-pay meter allow someone to go into arrears? I'd always assumed they just cut the supply when the credit runs out?

Yes, usually when the credit runs out, so does the supply of fuel.
However, customers can access 'emergency credit' which will allow a supply of fuel that has not yet been paid for. However such emergency credit is limited in value.
Also, standing charges apply & accrue whether or not any energy is being used.

SwanJon

It's definately worth speaking to Ebico/SSE to see if they can explain why the debt is on the meter, and to change the recovery amount (shoud be able to get it down to around £4/week).

Don't worry about using the emergency credit - it is there for a reason, and it costs you no more than if you'd topped up before it ran out - it just doesn't take standig charge/debt recovery while it is in emergency and catches up when you next top up

At the same time see if SSE's Priority Assistance Fund can help:
https://sse.co.uk/help/accessibility/priority-assistance-fund#item1
I don't know how this works, but I imagine that this is exactly the type of situation it is set up for.
Other suppliers have similar things - http://www.charisgrants.com/application-forms/
https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/customer-services/bills-payments/payments/helping-you-pay-your-bill/help-and-advice/hardship-fund

daviecooper

I just had a look at the meter, if i press the button twice it says £59:40 owed..

And cycling through the system Im wondering what these mean....

1) £7 for debt
3) £3 accepted
4) 10:26
10) 5.200
16) 40.300
20) 91
21) £2:00
22) £5:00
23) 30

Autumnella

So until that £59.40 is paid off it will take 70% of what you top up with to pay it.
1) how much of your last charge went towards debt
3) how much of your last charge was credited to your meter
4) time of last top up
10) how much in pence you pay per kWh
16) Your daily standing charge
20) average billing cycle
21) when your credit gets below this amount you will be able to access your emergency credit
22) the amount of your emergency credit
23) the percentage of your top up that will go towards credit if you owe to the meter

SwanJon

daviecooper wrote: »

I just had a look at the meter, if i press the button twice it says £59:40 owed..

This would usually be for catching up standing charges, but as Ebico don't charge any ask them to pay you back as it look slike your meter has been taking a standing charge

I think the next step is to call Ebico, with a reading and the information you have here, and ask them to pay you back

daviecooper wrote: »

And cycling through the system Im wondering what these mean....
00) Last amout topped up - shoudl be the total of 01 + 02+03
1) £7 for debt - Of that last top up, how much went for debt
02 £ for EC - of the last top up, how much went for Emergency Credit
3) £3 accepted of the last top up, how much did you get for gas
4) 10:26 the time
10) 5.200 the price per kWh, not per unit
16) 40.300 Calorific Value - used to convert units to kWh
20) 91 Days in a billing period on the meter (can't think where it is used anymore
21) £2:00 EC threshold - below this you will be offered Emergency Credit
22) £5:00 EC Limit - the most EC you will be offered before paying it back
23) 30 How much of each top up that you get for gas (%)

Did you see 26 or 27? (It might ask you to put your card in to see them). These show you if there is a bill on the meter - 27 is how much it is, and 26 is howmuch the bill is beign repaid each week.