PAYG gas meter-forced to use it

padyjoe

Lads and lassies! First of all: apologies for losing my head! The meter with Electric Ireland. I have never used a payg gas meter before so I was unfamiliar with this. Cycling through the displays, the unit price is 6.135 cents, standing charge is 25 cents a day (so it's not extremly high) As of time of writing I have no gas again. I topped the card up with 20 euro this Monday, slid it into the meter, 12 euro was deducted instantly (had no clue why?), only 8 euro left to be used. Approx. 11 cubic metres was used already which equals to 8 euro. The meter won't offer me 5 euro emergency credit at all. I think I've got the answer why. Getting screen 27, the meter, if I'm reading it right, showing a debt of 485 euro. I'm shocked! And I have paid 12 euro already for someone else's debt. I haven been never ever told that I'm taking over a debt ridden meter. (To make me happier, I have a not working washing machine too.) I don't know why I deserve this? The apartment I used to live in was sold, had to move out, I'm in a small town, hard to get accomodation. Finally got one, not for cheap, had to ask for new oven (the old one was pure muck), had to ask for kitchen table and chairs, there was none, cannot do the washing, payg meter in debt. Call me a fool, I don't mind, renting is not easy these days. Wish I was a homeowner myself, it could have saved me many sleepless nights! :-(

RebekahD

padyjoe wrote: »

Lads and lassies! First of all: apologies for losing my head! The meter with Electric Ireland. I have never used a payg gas meter before so I was unfamiliar with this. Cycling through the displays, the unit price is 6.135 cents, standing charge is 25 cents a day (so it's not extremly high) As of time of writing I have no gas again. I topped the card up with 20 euro this Monday, slid it into the meter, 12 euro was deducted instantly (had no clue why?), only 8 euro left to be used. Approx. 11 cubic metres was used already which equals to 8 euro. The meter won't offer me 5 euro emergency credit at all. I think I've got the answer why. Getting screen 27, the meter, if I'm reading it right, showing a debt of 485 euro. I'm shocked! And I have paid 12 euro already for someone else's debt. I haven been never ever told that I'm taking over a debt ridden meter. (To make me happier, I have a not working washing machine too.) I don't know why I deserve this? The apartment I used to live in was sold, had to move out, I'm in a small town, hard to get accomodation. Finally got one, not for cheap, had to ask for new oven (the old one was pure muck), had to ask for kitchen table and chairs, there was none, cannot do the washing, payg meter in debt. Call me a fool, I don't mind, renting is not easy these days. Wish I was a homeowner myself, it could have saved me many sleepless nights! :-(

Hi it was the same when I moved into my house, I phoned bord gas and explained I had moved into the house and money was owed on the meter from previous tenant and I needed to set up an account with them and wasn't sure how, they explained everything to me and wiped the debt on the machine for me. It did take a couple of day's, which was annoying but it eventually happened, I only hope things sort out for you too.

cerastes

padyjoe wrote: »

Lads and lassies! First of all: apologies for losing my head! The meter with Electric Ireland. I have never used a payg gas meter before so I was unfamiliar with this. Cycling through the displays, the unit price is 6.135 cents, standing charge is 25 cents a day (so it's not extremly high) As of time of writing I have no gas again. I topped the card up with 20 euro this Monday, slid it into the meter, 12 euro was deducted instantly (had no clue why?), only 8 euro left to be used. Approx. 11 cubic metres was used already which equals to 8 euro. The meter won't offer me 5 euro emergency credit at all. I think I've got the answer why. Getting screen 27, the meter, if I'm reading it right, showing a debt of 485 euro. I'm shocked! And I have paid 12 euro already for someone else's debt. I haven been never ever told that I'm taking over a debt ridden meter. (To make me happier, I have a not working washing machine too.) I don't know why I deserve this? The apartment I used to live in was sold, had to move out, I'm in a small town, hard to get accomodation. Finally got one, not for cheap, had to ask for new oven (the old one was pure muck), had to ask for kitchen table and chairs, there was none, cannot do the washing, payg meter in debt. Call me a fool, I don't mind, renting is not easy these days. Wish I was a homeowner myself, it could have saved me many sleepless nights! :-(

RebekahD wrote: »

Hi it was the same when I moved into my house, I phoned bord gas and explained I had moved into the house and money was owed on the meter from previous tenant and I needed to set up an account with them and wasn't sure how, they explained everything to me and wiped the debt on the machine for me. It did take a couple of day's, which was annoying but it eventually happened, I only hope things sort out for you too.

OP,
as RebekahD has said, you need to ring up the supplier, as its with Electric Ireland (EI, for brevity in the post), I suspect their rates are similar to Bord Gais for their domestic customers between prepay and credit meters and also how they administer it.
The meter was likely put in to manage a previous tenants non payment and for this reason, probably the only way the tenant could get Gas.
What you need to do is contact EI, keep all your receipts, state to them the date you changed over, they can go through it with you on the phone, what I did myself was locate their non 1890 no. (see, saynoto1890 website) and call them from that, they may even ring you back if you request it to save you money even if ringing their non 1890 number form a mobile unless you have some bundle (just another idea to save you money).
I'd also be helpful to them, if they ask about the previous tenants overdue amount or location and you dont know, tell them you'll try get the information from the landlord and pass it on if you find it out).

It looks as though, a set amount is being deducted to pay for any arrears amount owed by the previous tenant, so a percent of any top up by them (now you, but EI still thinks its them, is being deducted for arrears) in this regard you as the new occupant need to contact the utility suppliers (this is a good idea for any new occupant, actually it's essential and that is regardless of it being a prepay meter or a credit meter).
YOU NEED TO RING THEM AND READ THE METER OFF WHILE ON THE PHONE AS THEY MAY REQUEST YOU PUSH BUTTONS IN A PARTICULAR SEQUENCE TO GET SOME VALUES AS THE METER READING PROBABLY ISNT DIRECTLY READABLE LIKE A MECHANICAL METER.
I suggest you keep pen and paper handy and record information as you go through it, ie person on the phone, time/date of call, ref of the call if any, MPRN and new account number details if available.

You can ask them the rates then also, they will likely be a simialr scenario as Bord Gais in that the rates are likely to be the same or very similar to their standard domestic rates (this probably wouldnt be the same for the likes of Energia or that kind of business, so at least you aren't with them).

Once you get that all sorted, if you budget a set amount, weekly, bi weekly, monthly or whatever you decide and by an amount you have determined you need, you have no suprising bills.

The difference with the gas and electric prepay is its usually necessary to top up the electric meter (in a prepay scenario) consistently by an amount and keep that regular due to continual use, the daily rate is also deducted for gas and electric prepay meters also, but as we all mostly use electric throughout the summer too, i.e. lights and other appliances, then that will have to be a more consistent payment, but it will be known and shouldnt change too much (but probably more in the winter).

With gas prepay, it could be possible to not use it during the summer at all and use alternative means to heat water (immersion electric) and maybe not even use it for heating rooms.
BUT
the daily charge will still build up, so while you wont have to top it up, when you come to need to top it up, a debit will exist on the meter, if not using gas to heat water, then its not a bad idea to calculate the daily rate and pay that monthly anyway (it will be very little, you could likely be talking about €8 a month), but it could be a good way to build up credit on your account for the winter, to make regular monthly top ups to account for the daily deducted standard charge and build upo some credit (if you know that you will be there).

(N.B. DO NOT DO CREDIT YOUR METER WITH MUCH BEFORE YOU CHANGE YOUR NAME OVER AS ANY CREDIT ON THE METER MAY LIKELY DISAPPEAR, OR IT WILL BE JUST AN INCONVENIENCE TO RECOVER, BUT KEEP RECEIPTS OF WHAT YOU DO TOP UP ALSO FOR YOUR RECORDS, WHEN THEY RESET IT, IT SHOULD DELETE ANY DEBT AND THE PERCENT DEDUCTION FOR ARREARS).

Besides, it is cheaper to use gas to heat water if you time it right and especially if you have thermostat and timer control, otherwise you need to estimate your usage and set a timer, or if none of the above controls, then turn on as needed, and be concious of turning off when not, it should be cheaper to heat water that way as the per unit rate is less than a third of the cost for gas compared to electric.

Also, there are no suprises come winter or colder times for space heating (rooms), as you'll know the heating is working and it wont have been idle/out of use for the warm period of the year (if any) and then suddenly expected to turn back on.
(I know you say you have prepay gas) but it would be worth confirming what the setup is with the electric also and doing a meter reading anyway.

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padyjoe

Thank you cerastes and to everyone! Very detailed explanation, at least makes me a bit more knowledgeable in this area! :-)