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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I may BU - pre payment gas and electric

96 replies

KungFuBustle · 01/01/2014 10:27

Anyone who knows me knows how cross I get about fuel poverty and I think maybe I've got my head too far up my own arse about this.

We were struggling with our utilitiy bills. On our monthly call to our providers collections department pre payment metres were suggested. At the time I was paying back debt at £150 plus the months bills, I couldn't keep up.

We're not sat in an oven but a disabled husband who's in all day and is pained by the cold does push the usage up. We've got draught excluders, hot water bottles, jumpers etc.

I know the pre payment costs more per unit but it would allow them to collect £10 a week debt from electric metre only and I can just call and make overpayments on he debt over the phone. The women who helped was kind, empathetic and helpful. She suggested I could top up in dribs and drabs to build up a huge credit on gas to help keep us warm. 50p change in shop? Whack it on the card and never miss it. I loved this idea.

Metre is fitted and we're given a leaflet. Minimum top up is £5! No dribs and drabs. £5. Plus if you top up £5.50 only whole pounds are applied to the metre. Alright I'll manage it, I'm lucky, I can work. But what about the person with £4.50? Do they just have to freeze once emergency is gone, even if they have £4.50 they would happily put on the metre?

AIBU to think this is a disgrace and could punish the poorest and most vulnerable?

OP posts:
MarianneEnjolras · 01/01/2014 10:35

The way it's always been. We always had prepayment metres growing up. At least the minimum is £5 not £10 like most atms. In the days before card payments were accepted everywhere not having £10 in the bank often meant my mum literally had no money for food.

MikeLitoris · 01/01/2014 10:37

Who is your supplier.

Gas cards should all take a minimum of £1 top ups. Same with elec keys.

HeGrewWhiskersOnHisChin · 01/01/2014 10:37

You also need to put £6 on for it to work if you've used up the £5 emergency.

MrsGeorgeMichael · 01/01/2014 10:38

can you complain and ask for recording of call to be listened to? this is disgusting of utility co.

MikeLitoris · 01/01/2014 10:39

Gas meters are complicated and the advisor should have spent quite a long time explaining it all to you. Especially where debt is concerned.

Misspixietrix · 01/01/2014 10:40

YNBU. I spent most of the afternoon on the Phone to a certain Energy Company having to speak to at least five idiots people before I spoke to someone win two brain cells for DM. OP do you mean the shop said the least you can top up is £5? If so please report them to the relevant energy company. They can take less. Theyre just tight arses. I've often only put silly amounts on like £3 on the Electric when its only needed topping up for the weekend to keep off the Emergency. Do you have a co-op near you?

Original poster
KungFuBustle · 01/01/2014 10:43

I'm with Eon. They have been so lovely, but I'm cheesed off. I will ring tomorrow though as what I was told over the phone is not the reality. I know this method of payment has a higher cost, I.e 3 top ups costs them less than 4 but assumed it was reflected in the price.

That's awful Mari, Thanks , we're lucky that our local area has a post office open long hours, you regularly see people getting a few pounds out and popping to shop next door for bread and milk etc. Possible they only take out what they need but the economic reality of the area suggests this isn't the case.

OP posts:
Original poster
KungFuBustle · 01/01/2014 10:44

EON stated £5 minimum.

OP posts:
Balistapus · 01/01/2014 10:47

It's not really punishing people, is it?

We're on a pre pay meter. I see it as being given the opportunity to spread the cost of the gas/ electric so I never get into debt with a nasty bill. It even provides £5 credit if I get caught out so no, I don't think anyone is being punished.

Original poster
KungFuBustle · 01/01/2014 10:49

There is no debt taken from the gas Mike. Due to DH's disability it was rejected outright. I can't have the debt eating our heat. He has limited mobility and the cold makes him worse.

Sorry am x-posting with everyone.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with the pre-pay, £10 repayment a week is darn reasonable given the frankly embarrassingly high debt and now I'm in work I am not comparing myself to those most at risk. Just angry for them and thinking of those given the advice I was given for who it might be the only option.

OP posts:
TessTackle · 01/01/2014 10:50

British gas is £1 minimum and any domination of £1. I know British gas can be quite shoddy and is more expensive I think.

sashh · 01/01/2014 10:52

Do they just have to freeze once emergency is gone

Yes.

And the 'emergency' is charged at a higher rate than the normal.

MikeLitoris · 01/01/2014 11:01

Well it will certainly be simpler without the gas debt coming off. I dont know much about E.on so cant speak for how they set their meters but I worked in a prepayment dept of another supplier for a long time so know plenty.

op you will have loads of posters come on and tell you that PPM are the work of the devil. They can be a really good way of budgeting, especially when there is already debt to consider.

Fwiw I love my gas PPM. I won't give it up.

Fluffycloudland77 · 01/01/2014 11:08

Google the companies ceo, the address is freely available.

Email them, keep it polite and concise. I've usually had excellent results doing this.

nocheeseinhouse · 01/01/2014 11:39

We are with these www.ebico.org.uk/products-and-prices/equipower for ideological reasons, we pay by direct debit, but they don't overcharge those who can't, try a switch?

moldingsunbeams · 01/01/2014 11:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SaucyJack · 01/01/2014 11:46

I think YABU.

Fuel companies are not a charity. It is not their fault if people don't have the money to put in the meter. Stuff needs paying for.

And I have meters here myself. Wouldn't swap for the world either- much prefer to put a tenner on at a time, than receive a bill for hundreds.

Original poster
KungFuBustle · 01/01/2014 11:47

I want to pay debt before I move, I also like the club card points I get. I'm not bashing Eon, they've been great and it was obviously an error on part of the woman who helped. She really empathised, reassured me they wouldn't mess around with gas and even said due to DH she would put mark us as a priority for gas ( no idea what being a priority does but it sounds nice )

I'm only cross with the minimum £5 thing in the manual. I will call tomorrow and raise my concerns but I won't mention the previous call or complain about her. She s good at her job. I work in debt collection and I know a good advisor when I hear one. I will suggest that 'all advisors' are made aware so they can inform customers though.

OP posts:
Original poster
KungFuBustle · 01/01/2014 11:50

Not expecting them to be a charity Saucy, accepting £4.50 for £4.50 worth of gas or electric is hardly the work of a saint.

It's the same in our electric manual molding. I wonder if it's a newer thing being rolled out?

OP posts:
PinkPepper · 01/01/2014 11:51

My meter doesn't cost anymore in emergency. And we haven't found it costing any different to our bills either - we're only using it because it was already in the flat we rent, thought we'd beg to get rid but I love it.

Just remember to keep topping it up over summer so you build up some for next winter

PinkPepper · 01/01/2014 11:52

Oh meant to say it's horrible the woman said you could do it like that and then you couldn't through

MadBusLady · 01/01/2014 11:52

Oh god, I wish you'd posted before you had the things fitted. They are awful. They were suggested to you because that way if you run out of money you simply can't use any more power and it's your problem, not the providers'. At the moment you're ruining their stats as a bad debt and still using their product, and they have to jump through all sorts of hoops to cut you off.

SaucyJack · 01/01/2014 11:56

Not expecting them to be a charity Saucy, accepting £4.50 for £4.50 worth of gas or electric is hardly the work of a saint.

What are you complaining about then? That certain types of people are actually forced to pay for their own fuel usage instead of running up huge bills they have no intention of paying off, and passing on their debts to the rest of us? My heart bleeds Grin

ChatNicknameUnavailable · 01/01/2014 11:58

I'm with Southern Electric and have ppms for both gas and electricity.

I love ppms. When we bought this house they were already fitted and the first thing I did was phone to get them removed - and discovered it would cost over £100! So we just left them.

In hindsight I'm so glad we have them. I pay money onto them monthly when I get paid...no nasty quarterly bill to look forward to, or the possibility of underpaying via DD.

The minimum amount with Southern Electric (Swalec) is £1 so £5 is not the standard with all energy providers.

Original poster
KungFuBustle · 01/01/2014 11:59

I'd rather do it this way Mad. I owe A LOT. Minimum repayment of debt was £150 plus my usage. This way I pay £40 a month off debt plus my usage.

The debt is my fault, DH lost his job due to being too ill to work, it was debt or pain. We used it even though I couldn't pay. I took something I couldn't afford. Once working I tried to pay back but it was too steep. Now I can pay back what I took and use what we need.

The woman I spoke to was kind and caring. I have no issue with Eon or ppm. Just that someone willing to pay £3.50 with the ppm we've just been given couldn't. What if it's their last few pounds and they need heat?

Surely payment - however small, should be expected.

OP posts: