Sick sick sick of being on an electric card meter!

[SmugColditz]

I feel absolutely RULED by the tyranny of running out of electric. You don't get any warning, it just goes, then you have to go outside, switch the emergency on, walk round the house resetting things like the video, the boiler timer, the alarm clock, then you have £3 to get yourself some electric, and my nearest shop that sells it won't allow pushchairs in and they ALWAYS sell sweets so I have to contend with the nag nag nag. And it always goes on a frigging Sunday night.

Many moons ago, a house we lived in had a meter that bleeped at you intermittantly once it got down to about 50p.

The ones here don't do it though. Mind you I have gone ack to normal meter for my electric. Still on card meter for gas though, and if it goes off, I have to reset my boiler.

It's so bloody annoying, It's on a meter simply because of the postcode. I have the same account as I had at my last address but because I am now in a blacklisted address, they won't change it over to a (much cheaper) billing account!

Nut, I wish mine bleeped intermittently. Mind you, I'd probably moan about that too.

Start doing it monthly, like whack the months amount on it on one go and randomly top up while your in the shop with 2/5 quid. I had ran out once in a year!

mine always goes off after the shop has closed and is too high uo for me too see how much money is left on there.

we get emergency but it seems if we put a tenner on we only get about two pound credit and eight emergency so we have a tendancy to run out of emergency credit too.

imo i think that they should have a facility where you top up via debit card over the phone, a 24 hour one

Yep, my electric goes just as a good scene comes on the telly, grrrrrrrr, what supplier are you with? Ask if they can change the meter to a smart power meter, that way if the meter runs out of money after 8pm, the electric wont switch off til 9am the following morning.

micci

British gas do a key meter (the same as I have) and I am sure you can top up over the phone, I never bother though as I virtually live next door to 2 shops that supply electric.

Micci that is a fantastic idea and it's a pity they won't do it.

I feel your pain! We used to have one - think it was because of the folk who'd owned the house before. Remember it running out one night, me at home with baby and the emergency credit wouldn't work. Had to bundle baby into car at 2 in morning in snow to try to find somewhere open to get credit.

If you change suppliers you might find that they will be willing to give you a regular meter.

Seems odd that the address is "blacklisted" - credit reports are specific to the person, not to the address?

Well, i don't know then, I was always fab about paying the bill.

It could be that because the account is in ExP's name and his credit ref is AWFUL.

Put the account in your name.

We've got a smart key meter now and providing your not on emergency credit it guarantees the electric wont go off in the night.

mine always used to go off in the middle of the night and our electric box is outside. I could never find the key to open the box and I would be hunting round the house with a torch cursing.. if I could find the torch!

I#m just hopeless..

And why does the gas always go off when you are cooking?...

It sounds dreadful. There must be some way you can get them to change it.

Do you have any other utilities bills that you can show that you pay regularly and on time? If so can you copy 6 months or a year's statements showing this and send them off requesting that it is changed?

some companies do refuse you if a bill is left at an adress even if its not you.
i moved a couple of years ago, had been with telewest for about 8 years always paid my bill etc etc. yet when i moved they refused to connect me there as the last people had left a bill.
when i queried it i was told its standard prcoedure
it is so wrong but it does happen. i know have freeview, despite moving again i still refuse to go to telewest due to the way i was treated last i moved

Smugcolditz, I would ring and DEMAND that you have a credit meter fitted and that you wish to pay by direct debit.

Play on the fact that you have children and that the local shop does not allow pushchairs in etc and you find it difficult to buy tokens.

I am assuming you mean you are on an actual card meter where you insert paper tokens as opposed to the other meters where you have a plastic card that goes in so you have to fanny around putting them in.

They cannot actually refuse to change you to a credit meter. (I used to work for npower for many years it just costs lots of money to change them over and run the risk of an unpaid bill) If you suggest the direct debit bit they will be much more willing to change it over.

If you feel you are getting nowhere then ask to speak to a supervisor and ask for the reason why you are being refused.

Best of luck, oh and I cannot believe your emergency is only £3, the usual is £5 and considering the price of electricity then it really should be higher.

i find meters a good idea espically if like me you would find it hard to find x amount of £'s at end of month

our electric over here in northern ireland allows you to top uo over the phone/online (which is ok if u have electric to do that )

i am going to start putting mine on monthly to such as 50 quid and then top up a five or so if poss.

good luck but check to see if u can do it online