Reply to: PrePay Electric

[DiscoStu]

Plenty more GSPs to pray on

Maybe I can run a Monkey Sanctuary. Kind of like a weekend spa for contractors.

There's a Plan B there somewhere

[Sockpuppet]

Nice area too... considerably better than mine

Plenty more GSPs to pray on

Maybe I can run a Monkey Sanctuary. Kind of like a weekend spa for contractors.

[NickFitz]

Fraid not. Last place where i had a utility bill in my name was 3 years ago.

Since then I've lived in a hotel mostly during the week and lived at the rents for the weekends.



Yep. They said that its better. It tolerable. I'm by no means 100% against them just I really don't want to have to pay £50 a time for the electric. I don't want to have to check it and I don't want to have to wonder if my fridge is going to run out of juice while I am away.



Well we have a result. Landlord is taking the electric into his name. I give him +£100 on the deposit and pay the bills as they come through (add to the rent, this is let only so I pay money directly to him).

All in all a result.

Nice area too... considerably better than mine

[Sockpuppet]

Someone hasn't been paying the bills. Those meters are bloody expensive.

Surely you have a good previous history with a utility supplier that you can negotiate with?

Fraid not. Last place where i had a utility bill in my name was 3 years ago.

Since then I've lived in a hotel mostly during the week and lived at the rents for the weekends.

Fourth option change your key to another supplier i.e. Southern Electric then after a week call them up and get them to change the meter for free.

Apparently EON, NPower and British Gas are rotters when it comes to changing key meters to normal meters as they know that if your not a debtor you will change your electricity supply away from them.

Yep. They said that its better. It tolerable. I'm by no means 100% against them just I really don't want to have to pay £50 a time for the electric. I don't want to have to check it and I don't want to have to wonder if my fridge is going to run out of juice while I am away.

Indeed bloody expensive, and the electric meter still ticks away if you have turned the whole lot off at the main switch. This is a complete sod if you get a contract far enough away from home that you don't want to come back every weekend.

In fact the things are completely unsuitable for anyone who regularly works away from home.

Well we have a result. Landlord is taking the electric into his name. I give him +£100 on the deposit and pay the bills as they come through (add to the rent, this is let only so I pay money directly to him).

All in all a result.

[Sysman]

Someone hasn't been paying the bills. Those meters are bloody expensive.

Indeed bloody expensive, and the electric meter still ticks away if you have turned the whole lot off at the main switch. This is a complete sod if you get a contract far enough away from home that you don't want to come back every weekend.

In fact the things are completely unsuitable for anyone who regularly works away from home.

[SueEllen]

Yeah, I've given the landlord an ultimatum of get rid of the prepay meter or find some other chump willing to rent it. Well there was a third option of lower the rent by £100pcm.

Fourth option change your key to another supplier i.e. Southern Electric then after a week call them up and get them to change the meter for free.

Apparently EON, NPower and British Gas are rotters when it comes to changing key meters to normal meters as they know that if your not a debtor you will change your electricity supply away from them.

[Bagpuss]

Someone hasn't been paying the bills. Those meters are bloody expensive.

Surely you have a good previous history with a utility supplier that you can negotiate with?

[Sockpuppet]

Yeah, I've given the landlord an ultimatum of get rid of the prepay meter or find some other chump willing to rent it. Well there was a third option of lower the rent by £100pcm.

The rent is high enough >£1k a month so I don't feel that I should wander down the shops to pay the electric, I'm not a dead beat. I don't want to have to check if there is enough credit on it and I'm going away for the weekend wondering if my fridge is going to stop working.

Its also a test. If the landlord refuses I'll tell him to shove it as if he's like this with basics (such as electric) then if the washer goes how long is it going to take to get that fixed etc.

[beercohol]

I had this experience. I called BG who continually tried to derail me with different stories each time. "We want to see you use it for at least 6 months first!" or "there will be a charge". The last straw was "We will call you back to arrange it"..................

Then I called for the last time and said "I am calling to have this prepay meter removed as I pay by quarterly bills...." and repeated it every time they tried giving me any flannel. I assured them I will stay on hold while they get their paperwork sorted. Eventually they put me through to someone who was completely helpful. They did an instant (right there and then) credit check, saw I was a legit middle-class moneybags, went all nicey and arranged a day and time for a Siemens engineer to swap it out. Simple.

Apparently the difficulty is due to them thinking you are an asbo-laden dropout product-of-liberalism type trying to get off pre-pay.

Once you have flexed your decent-capitalist-fairplay-dignified-straight-up muscle at them, they place you into the circle of trust you enjoyed at your previous property!

[Dow Jones]

Check

A pre-pay meter is installed in cases where there are large arrears and the utility companies are no longer free to cut off customers (in case there are babies/old folks in danger). This normally works at the same rate as the std one, so you are not at a disadvantage by using it. You shouldn't have a problem with using a key to charge/upload money, however check that there is no outstanding balance, as you may be poaying off someone else's debt.
A lot of landlords prefer it as it avoids (unpaid) bills and constant name changes on the account, also tenants pay what they can afford.

[Qdos Contractor]

I have recently bought a house, which I'm currently renovating, and electricity & gas are on those silly meters. Southern Electric were the previous occupants' company and they are coming to switch them for free.

Although buying my power from the Co-op is slightly embarrassing, I find putting my plastic key in the meter and watching it register my money strangely enjoyable.

[Sockpuppet]

I may end up renting elsewhere. Its not a cheap place - council tax band F

Certainly not usual prepay meter territory.

[Advocate]

Invest in a hex key, some cable and examine your nearest lamppost?

[Moscow Mule]

Ideas?

edit: Miss read question.

Go and rent somewhere else.

[DimPrawn]

Yes. Buy a house.

HTH