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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:
teenagetantrums · 01/01/2014 12:00

I have them, hate them i can top up £1 if i like i with British Gas, however today we have no gas, and no money until Friday(my fault entirley i forgot about TV licence DD) so we sit under duvets and eat things we can heat up in the microwave and dont wash, but on the plus side we do have electric left.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 01/01/2014 12:01

I think what she is complaining about is the minimum £5 top-up, so someone who only has £4.50 can't put that on their card, so is left completely without energy, SaucyJack.

ItsIgginningToLookALotLikeXmas · 01/01/2014 12:02

Maybe she is complaining as has been given false information from an advisor? Confused how is that ok?
I don't think you'll get anywhere OP though if you aren't willing to mention what was said to you by the other advisor, I don't think it matters how "nice" she was!

ChatNicknameUnavailable · 01/01/2014 12:02

I also use them like a 'savings' club...over the course of a year I know how much we use for gas/electric through the months.

I overpay here and there to build up credit on the meters and the last two years it's meant that in November and December there's enough credit to cover us without paying anything...so a bill free two months over Christmas, which is very handy!

teenagetantrums · 01/01/2014 12:02

OP do you qualify for the Warm Home Discount? if you do you will get £135 of vouchers for your electric meter.

Original poster
KungFuBustle · 01/01/2014 12:02

Saucy, I'm complaining that with my new metre they would not accept £4.50 for the same in energy as it's 'too small' and they must have at least £5. I'm working now, I will pay back every fucking penny I owe, I can afford my new ppm.

I'm thinking of those who have some money, but not £5. Vunerable person has £3, wants to pay that to energy company for £3 of gas, but they can't, £3 would not be accepted using the key and manual I have been given.

OP posts:
Balistapus · 01/01/2014 12:02

if you run out of money you simply can't use any more power and it's your problem,

Isn't this the case with every other product/ consumable?

If I run out of bread and I don't have any money to buy more does the baker give me a couple of loaves? Er, no.

Balistapus · 01/01/2014 12:05

Also, the OP had the option to pay quarterly, or whatever, then the bill was to the exact penny, but they got into difficulty and switched to a meter.

£5 isn't a huge amount of money, even on a very low income, if you budget.

LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA · 01/01/2014 12:07

Commenting just on the OP here. We hae a prepayment meter for both gas and electric. Best thing we ever did. I do get your point though - however, if you only had a pound, that money would probably only last an hour or so anyway - the issue is that it costs too much :(

wannabedomesticgoddess · 01/01/2014 12:07

We have a PPM for electric. I am in NI so ours might be a bit different, but I love it.

We used to top up weekly, but kept running into the emergency £1 and if that happens a night or at the weekend it doesn't shut off, but its more expensive. Now we top up monthly and we use £60 per month for a family of 4 with a dishwasher, elec shower and washing machine on a lot. Which I think is great.

If you are annoyed about not being able to do the dribs and dravs thing (which would be a right PITA anyway, it takes ages topping up the cards in the shop) just use a jam jar for the PPM money. A pound here or 50p there, put it in a jam jar. Top it onto the card when you reach £5.

MikeLitoris · 01/01/2014 12:08

I would try and put £2-£3 on the card to see if it works, I would be very surprised if it didn't.

I can see why they would want you to top up in £5s. It makes using the Meter much easier. Especially if you have used the emergency credit.

LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA · 01/01/2014 12:11

Bali - have you ever been in a situation where you don't have any money? I have, and it is actually impossible to budget sometimes when you are in dire straight, its a catch 22 situation.

Original poster
KungFuBustle · 01/01/2014 12:12

Yup Teenage. Collaboration of mumsnetters on that link sharing keep warm and bills down tips for anyone feeling the cold or the pinch.

OP posts:
Balistapus · 01/01/2014 12:19

LEM, yes, I have been in dire financial straights - so bad that friend's used to invite me round for dinner as a way to buy me dinner without it looking like charity ( which they knew I wouldn't accept).

Even on a low income as soon as you get any payment - wages, income support, etc - the first thing you do is top up utilities.

ComposHat · 01/01/2014 12:22

Wow saucyjack the compassion is really flying out of you today. I only hope you don't get tpo sick to work or have any misfortune that means you sink into debt.

SaucyJack · 01/01/2014 12:23

I think what she is complaining about is the minimum £5 top-up, so someone who only has £4.50 can't put that on their card, so is left completely without energy, SaucyJack.

But someone in that situation could just go on and use the five pounds emergency credit. They won't be left without power.

And if you're talking about people who have already used their emergency up, then I have no problem whatsoever in them being expected to put a minimum of five pounds on in order to clear the emergency credit debt. Some people will just run endless fuel debts up if they can get away with it.

A fiver's worth of grace is enough IME.

SaucyJack · 01/01/2014 12:27

I was a single mum on ESA for years Compos. Still paid the fuel meters.

Try harder.

LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA · 01/01/2014 12:30

I would have thoguht you would buy food, but lets not get into an argument over it, im sorry if im grouchy.

I think the key is not to let the emergency run out - i have only ever put £10 at a time on, that only lasts a couple of days so putting £5 on would seem futile anyway. We only have the heating on in the evening - never during the day, we cook with gas and obviously wash. So if the OP needs to have the heating on all day then she must be topping up more?

I would recommend a log burner but these aren't cheap, we have one from when things were ok and it was the best investment we ever made. However the price of logs is rocketing and it will become a luxury as well - the initial investment is out of many peoples budgets though, sadly :( so they are stuck with lining the energy companies pockets - they should never EVER have privatised things

LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA · 01/01/2014 12:31

Saucy, i don't think its about getting away with it - some people don't have any choice :(

Balistapus · 01/01/2014 12:36

People always have a choice. Compassion is for people who find themselves in a situation not of their making.

The argument about choosing food over heating is a spurious one.

Balistapus · 01/01/2014 12:41

I never understand the argument about energy companies -boo, hiss - making a profit. You never see threads where people complain about Hovis making a profit.

mouseymummy · 01/01/2014 12:45

I've got a ppm, it would cost around £200 per metre to get post pay installed so I'll stick with them.

I top up every time I get money. It might be £2/3 but I still do it, just to avoid being without gas or electric.

I'm with eon and I can put a few quid on the gas. And it goes on the metre. Maybe its because of the debt?

I know that when you have a debt on ss metres they take a little of what ypu top up to pay off the debt.

LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA · 01/01/2014 13:06

I have no problem with energy companies making a FAIR profit, but i think we all know that it is anything but fair. I don't always buy hovis, i buy whatever is the cheapest bread at the time, but i have a choice, its a simple choice to make. However, with energy companies they have you over a barrel - if you want to cook,clean and be warm, you need them - you can't chop and change like you can in the general market place. That is why it is wrong that it is not a public company, like it used to be. Instead we are fuelling the fat cats at the top - as usual. Yes i knkow that is how capitalism works but If i don't want to buy an overpriced bag/pair of shoes, i just wont buy it, with fuel, i have no choice. I really don't have choice - its about trust, who do you switch to? We are with British Gas, but would we beneift by changing, i doubt it. When you are on prepayment meters you don't get the benifits of their special offers etc - its always that way though, the less you have, the more life seems to cost.

LEMoncehadacatcalledSANTA · 01/01/2014 13:09

Mousey, they don't take a little of what you top up, they take alot - we got into trouble - they took £12 a week, thats alot of money when you are struggling, but that was after an almighty battle - they wanted to take £40 Hmm It was one of the things that contributed to my breakdown - yeah i know we shouldnt have got into debt in the first place but it spiralled very quickly. Saying that, we have cleared the debt now and much prefer this method of payment - its one less bill to worry about, two actually because our electric is on a ppm too. I wish we did that from the start. It does cost more though, which is unfair imo.

POTC · 01/01/2014 13:15

I have ppm for both, with Eon. Minimum top up is £1 and you can only load whole pounds, not 50p. It does not cost more on emergency. If you don't load enough to completely clear the emergency it takes a percentage of the money towards the emergency and leaves you in the emergency of no less than £2.50 so you still have gas. Obviously not all metres work exactly the same but that's how mine is