Hi, just seen that you can load £249 on a gas card and £250 on a key, but what is the max you can have on the meter on each? Say I want to have £500 gas credit built up for winter can we do this..... Ie load £249 and put on meter, then back to shop and put on another £249 and then put the card back in the meter to have a balance of £498 plus anything that was left on the meter to start with?
Thanks
Best answer by Emmanuelle_OVO
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Hi, just seen that you can load £249 on a gas card and £250 on a key, but what is the max you can have on the meter on each? Say I want to have £500 gas credit built up for winter can we do this..... Ie load £249 and put on meter, then back to shop and put on another £249 and then put the card back in the meter to have a balance of £498 plus anything that was left on the meter to start with?
Thanks
If you have legacy Key/Card based Prepayment Meters, this is absolutely NOT recommended. If the meter(s) break for any reason and/or you lose the key/card, all your credit goes down the drain with little to no chance of recovery.
If you still want to do this, I strongly recommend upgrading to Smart Meters where the balance at least comes with a nightly backup to the supplier systems. From there, definitely consider moving to Pay Monthly where you can stash away as much credit as you want with the supplier - and with zero risk of loss if the meter goes kaput.
Hey
Thanks for your great question,
For traditional, the electricity meter holds £250 maximum, and the most you top up in one transaction is £99. For gas traditional the maximum a meter holds is £999 and can top up up to £49 in one transaction.
For Smart a meter holds up to £999 for both gas and electricity and maximum top up in one transaction is £200.
Hope this helps.
I think its stupid. You should be able to top up as much as you want. If I load 250 into my meter that is not enough for the month, even though I live in a 1 bedroom flat and am out all day. I have 1 oil filled heater (electric powered) which I use to heat 1 room. So by the time the 250 runs out I am skint but still need to find at least another 50 a month to cover it until the next payday. If I could put more on I would do it on payday to see me through to the next payday. I am constantly cold and using a hot waterbottle in bed which I go to straight after dinner justbto keep warm under the duvet.
+1
I think its stupid. You should be able to top up as much as you want. If I load 250 into my meter that is not enough for the month, even though I live in a 1 bedroom flat and am out all day. I have 1 oil filled heater (electric powered) which I use to heat 1 room. So by the time the 250 runs out I am skint but still need to find at least another 50 a month to cover it until the next payday. If I could put more on I would do it on payday to see me through to the next payday. I am constantly cold and using a hot waterbottle in bed which I go to straight after dinner justbto keep warm under the duvet.
There are reasons for this. If you DON’T have Smart Meters, regular top-ups are necessary to ensure the supplier gets regular meter readings and helps to prevent fraud. By enforcing limits on the value of each top-up and meter balance, it encourages the customer to top-up on a regular basis and ensures the supplier can meet their own obligations.
If you DO have Smart Meters, this restriction is more about fraud prevention and preventing excessive meter balances - it will not be modified just because one person wants higher limits.
If you want to throw more credit onto your account than the limits allow, Prepayment may not be suitable for you and I’d encourage you to consider switching to Pay Monthly. Switching supplier will not result in the limits being changed either - it’s a global restriction applied everywhere.
Hey
Sorry to hear this, it sounds like a very stressful situation to be in.
Our Winter Support Package might be helpful to you.
If you’re not sure Pay As You Go is right for you, and are interested in switching to pay monthly you can contact the Pay As You Go Support Team. You’ll be able to set up automatic monthly payments in the form of direct debits, make top up payments and won’t have to worry about going off supply.
If you or anyone in your home is vulnerable, or just needs a little extra help, our Priority Services Register is a free support service you might find useful.
Fuel Direct Scheme
The Fuel Direct scheme helps to pay your energy bills directly from your benefits (the scheme is run by the Department for Work and Pensions).
Cold Weather Payment
A Cold Weather Payment might be available to you, if you’re getting certain benefits. These payments are made if the temperature in your area is forecasted or recorded to be 0C or below for over 7 days in a row. See if you’re eligible and find out more here.
Winter Fuel Payment
This is available to people who were born on or before 26 September 1955. It’s an annual one-off payment between £100 and £300, to help pay for your heating over the winter. Find out more about the Winter Fuel Payment here.
Warm Home Discount Scheme
You might be eligible for £140 credit towards your energy bills through the Warm Home Discount Scheme. If you’re in England or Wales you don’t need to apply. We've now closed the Scottish broader group applications for 2022/23. Information about next year’s scheme will be available soon. Find out more about the Warm Home Discount via the GOV website here.
Citizens Advice
Visit your local branch, or their websites: for England and Wales and for Scotland. You can speak to an adviser online, in person, or over the phone: 0800 144 8848 (England), 0800 702 2020 (Wales), and 0800 028 1456 (Scotland).
National Debtline
Call 0808 808 4000 or visit their website.
Step Change Debt Charity
Call 0800 138 1111 or visit their website.
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