To think an admin charge on topping up my prepayment meter is a kick in the teeth?

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I live in a rental house with prepayment meters for gas and electric, so we are already paying more for energy and can't have the meters removed. We top up weekly at a local shop and have done for a long time. Got there today to top up and they informed us that they are now adding a 50p admin fee for topping up. (We were paying cash and didn't have the 50p so they were nice enough to waiver it). I don't know if the shop lose money on prepayment top ups and I'm not angry with them. I'm just annoyed that once again prepayment meters, which are often used by people already on a low income, are going to cost us more again. Am I just being petty?

Change to Ebico, best thing i ever did. Emergency is £5 so if i run out and then use the emergency i only have to top up £6 if im totally skint. They have no standing charges so the daily fee is not then added to that, before that i was with someone else and would have £10 emergency if i had used it plus the standing charge to pay back befor eI even put my weeks credit on

Ebico combine their standging charge into their unit price. Its still there, just not listed as a stabding charge.

The shop is taking the piss OP and I wouldn't use them again.

There is a few shops in the town centre where I live that wont let you use their prepayment top up meter unless you also buy something from there. I refuse to use them.

When I first lived on my own, the shop I used to go to once told me they got paid something like £30/40 a month just for having one so in his opinion it wasn't viable.

This was 10years ago so they probably get slightly more now. I'd make trading standards aware presuming that's who you need to contact.

Scooby Ah, but the advanatge is if you use minimal power you do actually pay less overall. My summer bills are significantly lower than with the cheapest per unit supplier, who use standing charges.

Everyones bills are cheaper in the summer. My point is simply that everyone pays standing charge.

It works better for some. It being in the unit price works better for others. But you still pay it.

And i have never come across a pay as you go meter that doesnt have emergency credit on it.

The other issue with small companies is how quick they are to respond to faults. The big 6 get out much quicker, especially for 'vulnerable' people.

Which is the reason a lot of people go back to the big 6.

I have had pay as you go meters and am not a big fan. There are lots of flaws in the systems. However standing charge applies to all and paypoints shouldn't be charging.

The landlords can't be stung for utility bills, it's in the tenants name so doesn't affect the house. I had to pay £300 upfront to have my utilities connected when I moved back to the uk as there was no history in my name but once I'd done that it was painless enough. Get rid of the smart metre.

scooby What do you mean, "everyones bills are cheaper in the summer"? I wasn't comparing summer to winter. I made it perfectly clear that I was comparing summer bills WITHOUT standing charges to summer bills WITH standing charges, but a lower per unit cost.

It can be cheaper, depending how much power you use, to NOT have a standing charge, even if that means you pay more per unit.

And you don't still pay the standing charge simply by paying more per unit. That's the whole point! You pay per UNIT, use nothing and you pay nothing.

I have meters and I'm so confused, no idea what you lot are talking about standing charges and what not, all I know is meters are a pain and they mysteriously add charges and what not. I often have no idea what for.

The shop should be ashamed of themselves, scamming money out of people who can ill afford it for a bogus 'admin fee'. Thieving cunts.

As far as I understand it, the l/l shouldn't have a say in whether you have prepayment metres or regular ones - I worked for an energy company yonks ago and the contract is between the company and the person using the supply! The l/l doesn't really come into it.

We moved into a rental last year with prepayment metres and got stung with the previous tenant's debt. It was a hassle to sort out and once we finally got the metres zeroed out I changed them over without ever consulting the l/l. The energy company didn't insist on "permission" and the agents just took down the metre readings and that was that. The l/l isn't responsible for energy used whilst the property is occupied by a tenant, only whilst standing empty or used by themselves!

The l/l doesn't really come into it

When there is a history of payment default at a property

energy suppliers frequently insist on a prepayment meter to reinstate supply

prepayment meters, which are often used by people already on a low income, are going to cost us more again

Adding insult to injury

Stop your energy supplier installing a prepayment meter

BBC my point is what i wrote. That standing charge works better for SOME people and NOT others.

An energy company wont tell tenants that they need the landlords permission. But many landlords have prepayment written in their contracts. Personally i think it woild be better if landlords just ensured their tenants names are on the account. Thats where most problems occur.

titania call yoir energy provider. They can go through it all with you.