What are the advantages of a prepayment meter?

  • A prepayment meter lets you control how you pay for your energy use, by allowing you to choose how much you spend and when

  • Prepayment meters are like pay-as-you-go (PAYG), so you don’t have to worry about monthly bills
  • If you find yourself with debt that you’re struggling to pay back, you can use a prepayment meter to repay set amounts over a period that suits you

  • You can build up credit over the summer months to help pay for the winter months

  • You’ll receive a statement each year showing how much energy you’ve used and the payments you’ve made, along with your current account balance

 

What are the disadvantages of a prepayment meter?

  • To keep your energy supply going, your meter will always need to be in credit. Also, standing charges apply every day, all year round

  • If you go away, you’ll need to top up your meter in advance to cover standing charges. This will make sure your energy stays on (e.g. for your fridge or freezer)

  • You’ll usually have to top up more in winter, when it’s colder.

  • If you lose your top up card, you’ll need to order a new one and may need to pay for it

  • Prepayment tariffs may be more expensive, because they cost us more to set up and run