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Pre Payment Meter Standing Charges

Hello first visit to this site but it seems like the perfect place to pose my question so any help would be greatly appreciated, I have a pre payment meter (N-Power) in an unoccupied property and have recently discovered a whopping bill of over £1000 although no electricity whatsoever has been used. I received a letter only a few days ago saying that the meter has to be kept topped up even when not in use (even in the summer as they put it) as the meter collects a daily standing charge. This is the first time they have mentioned this and has now caused a huge problem for me I didn't know I had.

So... does anyone know how much the daily charge is (they don't mention it)?
Is there a limit to how long this can go on?
Do I have any legal standpoint as they have never even contacted me to inform me my property was stacking up a huge debt and baring in mind the property has be vacant for several years the meter hasn't even been used?

Thanks for you time

Comments

  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Used or not, standing charges always apply if you have a meter in place-the solution is to switch to a tariff with no standing charges. Or, if you know the property will be unoccupied for several years, have the supply and meter removed.
    http://www.npower.com/home/help-and-support/types-of-meter/prepayment-meters/prepayment-meter-tariffs/
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • spiro
    spiro Posts: 6,405 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    A couple of years ago told suppliers to stop offer Tier 1 & 2 tariffs with standing charge plus one unit rate tariffs. All customers would have been advised at the time.
    As to getting the meter and service will cost £00s if not £000s and the same again when you want electricity again or come to sell the property.
    IT Consultant in the utilities industry specialising in the retail electricity market.

    4 Credit Card and 1 Loan PPI claims settled for £26k, 1 rejected (Opus).
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