I may BU - pre payment gas and electric

[KungFuBustle]

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?

Balistapus, the prices of bread and milk have been subject to government control for hundreds of years across the world, including at times the UK. Because food, like power, is a public good, part of critical national infrastructure and a critical part of the economy.

People are currently complaining in the UK about the price of food; if the supermarkets start being suspected of profiteering, there will be plenty of booing and hissing.

As Marie Antoinette found out.

Oh, and I have debt on mine too, they take the agreed amount which is £5 every Wednesday. If not enough on there, they don't take a payment that week.

Would just like to point out, our heating isn't on all day long, hasn't been since we were both in work. Rather hurt by the situation being of our own making, I have admitted I used the energy and will pay back every penny ( as well as deductions we will be making ad hoc payments over the phone) but I have worked damn hard to get into a job that supports us and my hard working loving husband has worked his whole life before he became disabled. No one asks for redundancy and disability.

I'm not a lazy or entitled person I swear, i'm a meal planning bargain hunter, I've not been swanning around in my pants enjoying my unpaid for heat. I will claw myself out of this. I'm in a position now where a minimum £5 isn't an issue. I'm worried about those who aren't there yet, there for the grace of god go I, again.

I have no issue with companies making profit, I have issue with someone not having enough to meet a minimum payment.

Oh, and I have debt on mine too, they take the agreed amount which is £5 every Wednesday. If not enough on there, they don't take a payment that week.

Oh, and I have debt on mine too, they take the agreed amount which is £5 every Wednesday. If not enough on there, they don't take a payment that week.

You

Sorry. You're charged the Higher Tarriff on PPM. I know this because when I applied to go quarterly I got told no. So I asked if I could go on the Lower one. The advisor replied no PPM customers aren't allowed that one and that they was only one tarriff available. I.e the higher one.

Would you not be able to go onto normal m

Bah, normal meters?

Bah, normal meters?

I'm happy with

Wtf Mumsnet??

I knew they tarrif was higher but seemed a fair swap for longer to pay back debt.

Just checked and ours is £1 minimum for gas and £5 for electric, which makes no sense to me. Surely having them both at the same level would be better?!

NPower used to have £6 worth emergency. Then they changed it to £2 literally a couple of months before we left the property. British Gas give you £5 both gas and electric emergency. I think the trick is to not go into the emergency (easier said than done I know) because then they're not clawing it back. Oh to a PP who said you have to put £6 on to get it back I've found this not to be the case sometimes. For example when we've had an all day appointment at the Hospital with tests etc if my electric had gone 10mins after we left at 8 and we don't get back until 4/5. I've often ended up putting 8 or more on just to pay the emergency back and get some electric back on. I know this isn't an ideal situation. Just sometimes this is what happens /you have to do if you have to wait a couple of days before you are paid for example.

KungFu please don't justify your energy usage to people that are being critical. There's no need. You sound lovely

Kungfu sorry - I Just assumed your dh needed the heating all day certainly wasnt a criticsm

I didn't mean you LEM, honest.

I understand that there are several energy suppliers so you do, in fact, have a choice. These suppliers are, I believe, operating on around 6%-7% profit margins. This is hardly profiteering.

If you're complaint is that all the operators are charging too much then the issue is that the companies are operating a cartel ( seems unlikely on 6%-7% profit) or that the cost of energy is high. I believe it's the later and that this is not the fault of the energy suppliers, but the fault of successive governments to not invest in fuel supply.

Happy to be corrected.

Sweet we x posted there :) I did make a comment earlier as I assumed they needed the heating on all day. We don't have it on as generally its just me at home and im in good hrslth

Its not straightforward though. To change. Also you cannot change if you are in debt.

Cross post.
Kungfu, I'm not criticising you. I really sympathise with your situation, but no-one ( by your own admission) made you run up a debt. I hope things continue to improve for you both and you clear the debt soon.

I think it's just plain wrong that people who use prepayment meters have to pay more than those who are on a standard account. It's making money out of the poorest and those with the fewest resources. Not nice.

Parsing People complaining about the price of food doesn't mean they are justified. Food is cheaper now than it has been at any time in human history, with the exception of a couple of percent in the last couple of years ( mainly due to the fact the the pound devalued during the recession and we import a great deal of our food).

But that's another thread.

I know what you meant LEM. I was just worried it would be taken the wrong way.

I know it was wrong to use the heat when I couldn't pay. It was debt or pain. I chose debt, but always with the intention of paying it all back.

I'm glad the £5 minimum isn't across the board and hopefully those who need the option of topping up £ by £ are on tariffs that allow them to.

My offer from the other thread of hats, hand warmers and draught excluders still stands. If you're cold pm me, I can knit and post hats and hand warmers, if you're local I can bring draught excluders and can show how I made mine if not.

Balistapus, your point was that people shouldn't complain about power companies' profits, because they wouldn't complain about food companies' profits. Which given the history of, oooh, the whole of civilization, is a bit .

British Gas have a grant fund to help clear energy bills (and other domestic costs). Here. Well worth looking into OP, they cleared my debt and it was several 1000s as DS is disabled, apparently that gave us a high priority. And they have paid for some replacement household appliances too.