Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

Prepaypower.ie still require meter readings?

Options
  • 26-04-2015 4:11pm
    #1
    Glazun
    Registered Users Posts: 315 ✭✭


    I wasn't aware that I had to continue submitting meter readings until Wednesday when I got an invoice to say I'm 84euro in arrears.. Apparently Esb are at fault.

    I had to submit a meter reading in order to resolve the issue. I only bought a key on Saturday thinking I could call up Monday to resolve the issue.

    However, they've already started penalizing me by deducting 5e from my topups. Seems a bit harsh to do it so soon.

    I'm already paying more for electricity than ever before. This is without their levy which I believe is 37c a day.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    zagmund
    Registered Users Posts: 2,501 ✭✭✭zagmund


    How can you be in arrears on a prepay-anything scheme? I thought the way they operate is that you have to have credit in the account all the time - that's more or less the point, to prevent arrears. Are you sure you're not mixing this up with arrears you already owed before switching to them?

    z


  • Options
    #3
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 38,438 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    zagmund wrote: »
    How can you be in arrears on a prepay-anything scheme? I thought the way they operate is that you have to have credit in the account all the time - that's more or less the point, to prevent arrears. Are you sure you're not mixing this up with arrears you already owed before switching to them?

    z

    There is still a standing charge with the pre pay companies.
    So let's say you used up all your credit, then went away for a month, on your return there could still be arrears of €20 or so. (Sample figure used).


  • Options
    #4
    Cushie Butterfield
    Registered Users Posts: 1,861 ✭✭✭Cushie Butterfield


    kceire wrote: »
    There is still a standing charge with the pre pay companies.
    So let's say you used up all your credit, then went away for a month, on your return there could still be arrears of €20 or so. (Sample figure used).
    Sounds as if the OP's is a different scenario & a bit out of the ordinary, as if it was what you suggest then the OP's power would simply have been cut off automatically & they'd have to top up by more than the built up arrears/standing charges amount for power to come back on.

    Probably some sort of mixup between prepaypower & esb networks with the initial meter reading that was taken/given when the prepay meter was installed, as any arrears owed to the previous provider is a matter between that provider & the OP, who would basically have started with a 'clean slate'.


  • Options
    #5
    Glazun
    Registered Users Posts: 315 ✭✭Glazun


    Issue has been resolved, turns out ESB estimated the bill higher than it should have been. So I just have to email them meter-readings every few months to keep them updated. It's a bit daft, they apologized for not making it clear at the start that you still submit readings to them.

    Also the weirder thing was that when I moved in I switched accounts with the previous tenant.. Instead of my account being new, I was being billed for a reading last October.

    Still can't wait til my lease is up and I can renegotiate my power-provider.. I've never spent more money on electricity than I do now, and there's only two of us..


  • Options
    #6
    Glazun
    Registered Users Posts: 315 ✭✭Glazun


    kceire wrote: »
    There is still a standing charge with the pre pay companies.
    So let's say you used up all your credit, then went away for a month, on your return there could still be arrears of €20 or so. (Sample figure used).

    If you run out of credit you get a 5e emergency-credit, after which the meter just cuts out and no power is provided for anything.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Patrickof
    Registered Users Posts: 669 ✭✭✭Patrickof


    Glazun wrote: »
    Issue has been resolved, turns out ESB estimated the bill higher than it should have been. So I just have to email them meter-readings every few months to keep them updated. It's a bit daft, they apologized for not making it clear at the start that you still submit readings to them.

    Also the weirder thing was that when I moved in I switched accounts with the previous tenant.. Instead of my account being new, I was being billed for a reading last October.

    Still can't wait til my lease is up and I can renegotiate my power-provider.. I've never spent more money on electricity than I do now, and there's only two of us..

    This sounds odd - are you sure that the supply isn't being billed in addition to the top up meter?

    When a supply is put on Prepay Power, the "bill" for that supply goes to Prepaypower. They are responsible for making sure that they recoup the charges from the top up meter to cover that cost.

    It can occur though, that you have a bill from one supplier, and are also still topping up the prepay power meter. When Prepay power see the "loss of customer" they are supposed to contact the occupant to provide them with the code to deactivate the top up unit. This doesn't always happen, for example, if its a new tenant, then they only have contact details for the previous person.

    Call ESB Networks and find out if your name is on the meter - it shouldn't be.


  • Options
    #8
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 38,438 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Glazun wrote: »
    If you run out of credit you get a 5e emergency-credit, after which the meter just cuts out and no power is provided for anything.

    I know that, but opun reactivation, you are still in arrears for the time that the meter was off line as such.

    Happened to me in a property recently. House was locked up for 1 month with no occupants, not even a fridge. Opun handover, the house was in arrears of the standing charges.


  • Options
    #9
    Glazun
    Registered Users Posts: 315 ✭✭Glazun


    Patrickof wrote: »
    This sounds odd - are you sure that the supply isn't being billed in addition to the top up meter?

    When a supply is put on Prepay Power, the "bill" for that supply goes to Prepaypower. They are responsible for making sure that they recoup the charges from the top up meter to cover that cost.

    It can occur though, that you have a bill from one supplier, and are also still topping up the prepay power meter. When Prepay power see the "loss of customer" they are supposed to contact the occupant to provide them with the code to deactivate the top up unit. This doesn't always happen, for example, if its a new tenant, then they only have contact details for the previous person.

    Call ESB Networks and find out if your name is on the meter - it shouldn't be.

    Sorry for late response. From what they told me, the meter is between me and them. ESB still reads the external meter and sends PrePayPower a bill, so if the meters don't add up they charge me for the margin of error.

    In this case, what happens is the difference was from when the previous tenant started the account in October. I set up an account with them in January, but the previous tenants details are still linked it seems. I'm hoping that means I can just cut my ties by next October assuming the landlord is ok with me switching.


Advertisement