Prepayment

We understand that topping up isn’t always convenient, so we provide Friendly Credit to help keep your heating and hot water on during evenings, weekends, and public holidays.

How it works: Weekdays: If your credit runs out between 4pm and 9am, your supply will stay on. Weekends and Public Holidays: Friendly Credit applies throughout these periods, so you won’t lose supply if your balance reaches zero.

What Happens After Friendly Credit Ends: If your credit runs out during friendly credit hours, your supply stays on temporarily.

Once the friendly credit period ends, the supply will disconnect if you have not topped up or activated emergency credit. Any energy used during friendly credit is added as debt and deducted from your next top-up.

If the supply is already off because the hub has no credit before friendly credit hours begin, the supply will not automatically reconnect during the friendly credit period and you must top up to restore supply.

If you’re having trouble with your prepayment meter, here’s what you can do:

Check the basics: Make sure there’s no power cut and your meter has credit. If the screen is blank, press a button to wake it up.

Look for error messages: If you see an error code or message, jot it down. This will help us sort things out faster.

Try emergency credit: If you’ve run out of credit, see if you can use emergency or friendly-hours credit to keep things ticking over.

Contact us: If your meter still isn’t working, won’t accept a top-up, or you’ve lost supply, get in touch with our customer service team straight away. We’ll get someone to help as soon as we can.

Lost or broken card? Let us know if your top-up card is missing or damaged. We’ll sort a replacement and help you get your supply back on.

Can’t reach your meter or top up easily? If your meter’s in a tricky spot or you’re struggling to top up, tell us. We might be able to move your meter or offer another way to pay.

If you’re vulnerable: If you have young children, health issues, or anything else that makes this harder, please let us know. We’ll make sure you get the support you need.

Remember: You have the right to a safe and working meter. If you’re struggling, we can talk about other ways to pay. If you need help, please contact the customer service team on 0345 078 3215, we’re here for you.

Prepayment hubs allow customers to pay for heat before they use it, rather than receiving a bill later. This can be a convenient option for some, but it’s important to understand both the benefits and potential drawbacks.

Advantages

Better Budget Control: You pay as you go, which helps avoid unexpected bills and makes it easier to manage your spending.

Avoid Debt Build-Up: Because you pay in advance, you won’t accumulate debt for heat usage.

Flexible Top-Up Options: Our systems allow you to top up at local shops, or over the telephone giving you flexibility.

Immediate Visibility of Usage: You can see how much credit you have and monitor your consumption in real time.

Friendly Credit Available: If your credit runs out, friendly credit ensures your heating stays on during: Weekdays: 4:00 PM to 9:00 AM Weekends and public holidays: all day

Same Low Rates as Direct Debit Customers: Prepayment customers pay the same competitive rates as those on direct debit, so you’re not penalised for choosing prepayment.

No Impact on Your Credit Score: As a prepayment customer, your account is not reported to credit reference agencies.

Emergency Credit: There is an emergency credit that can be accessed through your hub without having to top up.

Disadvantages

Risk of Losing Heat and hot water supply if Credit Runs Out: If you don’t top up in time, your supply will stop until you add credit.

Less Suitable for High Usage Periods: During cold weather, you may need to top up more frequently.

Please click here for details on Ofgem's authorisation conditions.