Issue of those on key meters

[HeIenaDove]

Gaining a bit of momentum

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charlene wedgner
@charlenebooks83
All sorted
..excellent customer service
@edfenergy
#coronavirus sending me a loaded key as i wont be able to get to shops. Please advise others with prepayment meters.
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charlene wedgner
@charlenebooks83
· Mar 14
Ive messaged @edfenergy in hope of a solution to top electric up as #selfisolating ...
12:42 PM · Mar 14, 2020·Twitter for Android
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EDF
@edfenergy
·
Mar 14
Replying to
@charlenebooks83
Thanks Charlene, this is however a case by case basis and is not guaranteed Thanks, Rachael.
nature
@Natureroots72
·
Mar 14
Clearly it is on a case by case basis as despite being registered disabled, housebound and socially isolated EDF have told me they cannot help or send me with preloaded card and key. "How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity

Sally Thompson
@sallyannt_
·
19h
@BritishGasHelp
i have a token meter for electric,can only get top up in the post office in my area .if government closes all non essential shops due to coronavirus ie the post office ,where do we get our electric from??
British Gas Help
@BritishGasHelp
·
8h
If you think you’ll run out of emergency credit, contact us to discuss your circumstances and we’ll work with you to find a solution ^Bronwyn

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panic at the everywhere
@brokenoptimist_
I rent a place that has electric and gas key meters for 'topping up' / paying for utilities.
@BritishGasHelp

@SP_EnergyPeople

@eonenergyuk

Are measure in place that these meters can be overridden and switch to 'pay as you use' accounts, if people are isolated / ill, and run out?
8:17 AM · Mar 15, 2020·Twitter for Android
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ScottishPower Help
@SPEnergyPeople
·
8h
Replying to
@brokenoptimist
Hi! We are still currently assessing the ongoing situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak and all affected customers will be notified when we can confirm what action is to be taken - Gary
panic at the everywhere
@brokenoptimist_
·
5h
Hi, thanks, Gary. As someone who is classed as disabled and considered more vulnerable in relation to being out and about during this pandemic, are you able to reassure me that these key meters can be overridden should that become necessary? Thanks.
ScottishPower Help
@SPEnergyPeople
·
5h
Until we release an official statement regarding the matter, I would not yet be able to confirm this for you unfortunately - Gary
andrew supple BicycleSpouting whale
@loftusroadw12
·
11h
Replying to
@brokenoptimist

@BritishGasHelp
and 2 others
Good question..
panic at the everywhere
@brokenoptimist_
·
11h
It's a worry for sure. A lot of more vulnerable people will have these meters too, for various reasons, I should imagine. I hope there is a way to get round this. What if shops have to close and there's nowhere to top your 'keys' up locally?
andrew supple BicycleSpouting whale
@loftusroadw12
·
11h
Hopefully they are working on it.. I see you've copied British Gas in so no excuse for them not having thought about... Be good if a news outlet picked it up and explored it..
@bbcsoutheast

Well im not going through all that crap and stress

We are putting a bit extra on but if we need to go out and top up and somewhere is open we shall do so.

Both the shops in my village are refusing to do top ups as they don’t want to handle the cards and keys !

So am i right in assuming they arent handling ANY cash transactions and have gone completely contactless?

I saw something somewhere (and now I'm kicking myself for not saving a link or screenshot) I THINK the govt have made it so they can't cut people off supply. Don't quote me as it were

Googled and found this

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/business-51958920

And so it begins.

Korin
@corinthians1312
i am self isolating for a fever but gas has just been cut off because i have no money for a top up on #UniversalCredit .People are experiencing this now. So what will the utilities do towards the national effort.?
8:08 AM · Mar 19, 2020·TweetDeck

@helenadove one shop in our village only takes cash for meter payments but are now only doing card transactions so are refusing to do meter top ups. The other will take card payments for top ups but as they’ve also gone cashless are refusing to go top ups as they don’t want to handle customers card and keys

absolutely not on to refuse to provide the service! Even if they are concerned about keys/cards being contaminated they could wear gloves, wash hands after or use hand sanitiser.

Im getting a nasty feeling that some of the spread of it will be blamed on poorer people.

Already happening to a degree. Viruses don't care how much money you make!

YY @Graphista ive just seen it on another thread.

And predictably...................

Charlotte Hughes. The Poor Side Of life
@charlotteh71
·
Mar 16
@BritishGas

@BulbUK

@edfenergy

@ecotricity
what measures do you have in place for card and key users if local shops and Post offices are shut? We won't be able to top up. Will you override our meters?
Customers Serviced
@Grumpy_Steven78
·
13h
Why should companies lower prices? They are all businesses, have supermarkets lowered bread prices or milk prices?? No exactly!!
just an engineer
@britishgasman1
Replying to
@Grumpy_Steven78

@charlotteh71
and 4 others
well said, i don’t get what people think sometimes, small majority always after something for free

Probably just a troll but if not hes not a terribly good advert for British Gas.

twitter.com/britishgasman1/with_replies

I got a text from Eon the other day that basically said to make sure you have plenty of credit on the meter . I'm lucky to be in a position where I have quite a lot of credit already loaded on mine as I always buy a bit extra each month, just in case of any problems. Most on prepayment meters are not able to do that, and the energy companies really need to address that properly. If smaller shops and post offices close it will be impossible to buy credit.

Here's the text I got from Eon.

We're committed to keeping the lights and heat on during this difficult time. For more information visit www.eonenergy.com/coronavirus-update. We urge you to try to keep your meter topped up and only use emergency credit or credits given if really needed as this will need to be paid back. We ask that you leave our phone lines for those who are off supply or need us the most.

Can't you just ask your energy supplier to change it for a quarterly meter where you pay bills and don't have to top up?

I would never have a prepayment meter because I would have to keep running out all the time in all weathers to top up.

And if you run out of credit and the pay point is not working or shop is closed you got no gas or electric.
And they are more expensive.
So I have a normal meter that gets read everry 3 months and I pay my bills by direct debit.
Much better.

No, they won't change mine to a credit meter because I am paying off a debt that my ex left me with. I can't get a smart meter so that I can top up online either, because the mobile signal in our block is not good enough. Nobody is on a prepayment meter by choice.

Missy it costs a lot of money to change from a pre payment meter to quarterly billing

This needs to be addressed PROPERLY by these companies and soon. FOUR MILLION households are on these things.

Are they all going to accept a. being pissed about and put through stress to get credit on or b. being left in the dark unable to cook or wash while what food they have managed to get hold of goes off. I doubt it.

We are supposed to be all in this together. That includes these bloody companies. I do not trust the Government to sort this

We have managed to keep a bit ahead with ours but i know a lot of people just cant and thats why i started this thread.

Can't you just ask your energy supplier to change it for a quarterly meter where you pay bills and don't have to top up?

No many people can't just do that for various reasons.

Given the downsides of it, it should be obvious that the people using them,use them because they have to, rather than an active choice.

I find this terrifying tbh. If they won't commit to helping people that want to and can afford to pay, what help will it be available to those that have lost their incomes due to this?

We urge you to try to keep your meter topped up and only use emergency credit or credits given if really needed as this will need to be paid back

all in this together my arse.

Anyone who is on benefits will hopefully have claimed their £140 warm homes grant that should have been credited by now, some companies can send out devices that plug in a laptop so you can credit online at home to top up cards. Anyone who is disabled can by law have their meter changed to a credit meter.

Anyone who is disabled can by law have their meter changed to a credit meter.

Source?

We are so worried about this . We moved in January and the house has card top up meters - we hadn’t thought to check before moving in which was a stupid mistake. We asked the landlord if we could switch them to normal and they said no.

We are paying way more than we used to and without a car we are having to travel to top up once a week - if that shop shuts I have no idea what we will do.

We are self employed business is slow the chance of us being able to do a large top up at once is 0.

Well when I got rehoused by the Council to this Housing Association flat I am in now. The first thing I said to them is I don't want anywhere with a key or card gas or electric meter because I often can't get out and I want to pay my bills by direct debit.

Lucky for my my housing offer at the Council was understanding and got me a flat with normal meters. But if it had had a prepayment meter I would not have taken it.

And if I move I would not move anywhere that had those meters. I would rather not move at all than have a key or card meter.

Even though I was told if the flat has a prepayment meter you can change it when you move in. I don't know how true that is.

I have always paid my bills on time.
I have never been overdrawn or in debt.

I don't know what your cases are but I think if you don't want a key or card meter you should not have to have it.

I mean what if you live somewhere where the nearest shop is a bus ride away and buses only come every hour or the weather is bad and you cannot get out.

A lot of the time you go to a shop and they have no pay point or it's not working.
I have had that problem when I try to top up my pay as you go mobile phone.

And pre payment meters eat up a lot of money more than normal meters. I think they should get rid of key and card and all prepayment meters.

Teresa Smith
@pebblemiff
@BritishGasHelp
on phone for nearly 2 hrs. Need you to remotely top up dads pre pay meters as he is self isolating and has no way of accessing his meters, he is a wheelchair user with other high risks. Adviser saying you need to get dads consent but not possible as
12:12 PM · Mar 23, 2020·Twitter Web App
Teresa Smith
@pebblemiff
·
2h
Replying to
@pebblemiff
I cannot visit and he is unable to call you due to Alzheimers. He is vulnerable and you are meant to protect him. Surely in this situation, you can just arrange for continuous supply without need to physically insert keys? Am still on hold to speak to a manage

Tina Sparkle
@rachelbuckenham
·
2h
@BritishGasHelp
this is extremely urgent
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Teresa Smith
@pebblemiff
· 2h
@BritishGasHelp on phone for nearly 2 hrs. Need you to remotely top up dads pre pay meters as he is self isolating and has no way of accessing his meters, he is a wheelchair user with other high risks. Adviser saying you need to get dads consent but not possible as
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Teresa Smith
@pebblemiff
·
2h
@BritishGasHelp
after spending 2 hours on the phone, I was told I would be transferred to the right department, an automated message told me to call back unless I am without gas/electric. So, I will need to visit dad each week to top up. Not helpful considering government advice.
British Gas Help
@BritishGasHelp
·
1h
Hi there Teresa, would you be topping up your dads meters from your own card?

Thanks, Chris

Teresa Smith
@pebblemiff
·
20m
I would usually use cash if I was topping up at the shop but I can use my card if I was able to do it online or over the phone.
British Gas Help
@BritishGasHelp
·
16m
Okay Teresa, I'm sorry for the confusion. However you can top up online on behalf of someone.
All you need is their Smart Cards number (the card they use for meter top ups)

Please follow the link :
bit.ly/2ZiZXBS
Teresa Smith
@pebblemiff
Replying to
@BritishGasHelp
He does not have a smart meter. He was due to have smart meters installed on 9th April but as he is in high risk category, this will not be possible. He has pay as you go meters that need a key to be inserted to top up