Prepay power problems

brightspark

Elmo wrote: »

Sorry cutting into this thread. Prepay phones were always more expensive than Bill Pay. The idea behind such services is to provide them to people who aren't major phone users but wanted an easy not committally form of using the service. That is really the only benefit. Though non-committal aspect was never really that true.

I always assumed the same for prepay Electricity/Gas. The benefit your aware your electricity will run out and you might save by cutting down.

The difference is when you run out of phone credit you can simply stop making calls until you top up. And most people on prepay phones have alternative methods such as landlines etc.

When you run out of electric credit everything stops so you need to top up immediately.

You can only save money by proactively reducing your usage, and because of the charge of ~€136 you need to reduce your usage by 2kwh EVERY day just to break even. A typical house uses ~14kwh each day, so reducing your consumption by 2 units isn't easy.

Just like catalog companies, Christmas clubs, payday lenders and hire purchase companies, the prepay power companies are making money from those in society who have poor money management skills and/or low incomes. i.e those who can least afford it!

dudara

@Elmo @brightspark - stick to the topic please - no general comments about pre-pay.

dudara

wmpdd3

That really is writing, I can get all those figures from the Meter and the Esb website.

If they replaced your meter then all your payment details are probably lost.

Id be weary of the company chasing you for over usage after the meter is gone if they have no idea how much you've put in.

Keep a note book beside the meter and enter the top up and the meter read each time you top up?

V.W.L 11

wmpdd3 wrote: »

That really is writing, I can get all those figures from the Meter and the Esb website.

If they replaced your meter then all your payment details are probably lost.

Id be weary of the company chasing you for over usage after the meter is gone if they have no idea how much you've put in.

Keep a note book beside the meter and enter the top up and the meter read each time you top up?

Bottom line is its too f**king expensive,so out with the meter and back to bills with a billpay card,pay money off the bill a usual every week.its my biggest regret in life,joining PPP and I have made a hell of a lot of big mistakes.

Fimurcom

wmpdd3 wrote: »

I'm not sure if a small claims case could help you, don't think do.

Do you get a bill too? Just to show usage if so its easy to work out if the meter is wrong.

If say send a letter by registered post detailing how much they have over charged you (if you can prove it) and tell them you will style your complaint for the amount needed to buy out your contract, and then leave.

the fact they replaced the meter for free sounds like they knew it was faulty.

UPDATE. Got a text from PPP on Tuesday April 1st, informing that there was insufficent credit on my keypad to pay standing charges& please contact to discuss. Phone number given was similar to PPP customer services so I rang, ready to go mad as i had topped up by €20 the evening before. Imagine my shock,I had actually contacted Head Office. They explained that they were still going on info from old meter/keypad ( changed in feb). Explained situation to them, told how I was treated by customer care (haha), gave names, times+ length of calls. They finally tracked down my file, called back+I Have now been refunded €50 credit that I had overpaid, an apology+was told I would receive furher compensation but not holding breath. Will still be changing my electricity provider at end of August.

wmpdd3

That's great and it's your money and you should get it back.

They explained that they were still going on info from old meter/keypad ( changed in feb).

I'd still be worried about this, it seem like they work out your bills very manually. When you do leave, I hope they don't try contact you for outstanding bills (irony!)

Fred Swanson

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wmpdd3

Seriously though, how does this work.

Do you have 2 readings? Or do you have one meter and a reading from that is the electricity usage for the house?

Is there a possibility that you submit a reading to ESB and then 3 weeks later ESB calls you and tells you that you owe for another 200 units because your top up wasn't applied to you account correctly?

The reason I ask is because it seems so easy to me to just give ESB a much higher reading and then when they come asking for the money you could tell them you already paid this money to pre pay power.

Fred Swanson

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