Prepaid meters

record-maker

I have a pay as you go "prepay" meter which prevents a high monthly bill. I have this type of supply to prevent that type of hefty monthly bill / direct debit.

So why can't I switch supplier without having to take on an unwanted direct debit?

I don't have any credit issues and i'm not black listed.

Any ideas please ???:(

matelodave

Find a company that will allow to switch with a prepay meter.

There's no reason why you cant have one although most energy companies have only one pre-paid tariff so most other tariffs, including the cheaper ones wont be available to you unless you have a credit meter with direct debit and possibly a smart meter as well.

Read this for some more info https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/switch-prepaid-gas-electricity/?_ga=2.96885786.401444124.1550241161-1842007301.1544477226#switchometer

[Deleted User]

Plenty of suppliers accept prepays, and so they should.. No huge build up of unpaid bills, advanced payments.
Todays smart prepayment meters are even better..
Watch this space for smart prepay to be as cheap as fixed direct/debit deals in the future.
Suppliers feared the extra expenses of very unreliable key and card prepay meters so they have had to pass on the extra costs..Hopefully that is in the past with the new easy top meters

PennineAcute

Smart Prepay will never get to the levels of most fixed DD deals, as the costs of running these accounts are more expensive. Paypoint take a cut, if payments are made in shops, and the costs of online payments are more expensive than the cost of DD payments. Even if you take paypoint out of the equation, you then have the problem that not everyone has a bank account and/or debit card. A good example of this, is the website where I purchase my CBD Oil. I get 5% discount if I pay by bank transfer. Prepay mobile costs have come down, but are not near the prices of pay monthly sim only sims. I look at three, where I pay £18 a month for my sim only unlimited. Their prepay unlimited is £35.

On top of this, browsing through the FB pages of some prepay only supplier, you find that people are phoning for the most "stupidest" of reasons. I have seen posts asking for help as their boiler is broken, or their radiators are not getting very warm. It take manpower to answer these calls.

Michaelw

record-maker wrote: »

I have a pay as you go "prepay" meter which prevents a high monthly bill. I have this type of supply to prevent that type of hefty monthly bill / direct debit.

So why can't I switch supplier without having to take on an unwanted direct debit?

I don't have any credit issues and i'm not black listed.

Any ideas please ???:(

Thers very little point in swiching supplier on prepayment there used to be when Ebico/SSE was in existence for low users,the prepayment cap is in place and a price comparison site shows a saving of around 8 to 12 pounds a year.As with any battery powered meter call out service is priority also.There also the benefits of a fast"ish" call out in prepayment.

Your wise to consider the possibility of of your credit raitings bills can quickly spiral out of control and some suppliers once off of prepayment in say smart its much harder to swich back to prepayment without senceless callout's to look for non existent other meters.

[Deleted User]

PennineAcute wrote: »

Smart Prepay will never get to the levels of most fixed DD deals, as the costs of running these accounts are more expensive. Paypoint take a cut, if payments are made in shops, and the costs of online payments are more expensive than the cost of DD payments. Even if you take paypoint out of the equation, you then have the problem that not everyone has a bank account and/or debit card. A good example of this, is the website where I purchase my CBD Oil. I get 5% discount if I pay by bank transfer. Prepay mobile costs have come down, but are not near the prices of pay monthly sim only sims. I look at three, where I pay £18 a month for my sim only unlimited. Their prepay unlimited is £35.

On top of this, browsing through the FB pages of some prepay only supplier, you find that people are phoning for the most "stupidest" of reasons. I have seen posts asking for help as their boiler is broken, or their radiators are not getting very warm. It take manpower to answer these calls.

You are forgetting the big costs of direct debit payments getting into arrears. You have no idea of the number of debtors there are with fixed d/debits, and many of these end up defaulting with the suppliers passing on the losses for the rest of us to pick up.
Losses will be minimal with smart prepays
. You only have to read the constant complaints on here about d/d set too low ending up with court warrants, defaulters, force fitted prepays.

. There are lots of fraud scams involved with occupants submitting dodgy readings for years with a fraudulently arranged low direct debit.. We had one last week who at least admitted what his reasons for posting was.. .
. The overall losses I m sure will exceed the costs of running smart prepay customers..Only smart prepay because the old meters make huge losses too. They are easily the most bypassed meters of them all needing costly visits by meter readers sorting out abused and damaged meters.

90% of the bypassed meters I find are prepays.. So far I have nt found any smart meters bypassed
Smart prepay has been a big success over in Northern Ireland where it is very popular . They are much more advanced in smart prepay than we are. The old prepays are an absolute disaster and cost everyone extra in the end as the suppliers pass on their losses. they are heavily subsidised and now capped..No need to do that with smart prepayment meters.

BG s current electric prepay rates in my area are 13.39p/kwh +28pdsc.
Bulb prepay rates are probably cheaper than any current fixed rate d/d at only 12.42 p/kwh + 28p dsc..Their prepay gas rates are also up there amongst the cheapest fixed d/d s at 3.2p/kwh..Even pricey BG are 3.27p/kwh...beat that on fixed rate deals .