Decide if prepayment is right for you

Prepaying for your energy lets you pay small amounts often, but it’s usually a more expensive way to pay than getting a bill.

If you have a smart meter, your supplier can change its setting from credit to prepayment. If you have an old-style credit meter, you can swap it for a smart meter or get an old-style prepayment meter installed.

If you have a choice about moving to prepayment, think about how it'll affect you.

You could end up with no gas or electricity

You shouldn’t move to prepayment if running out of credit and having no gas or electricity would cause you a serious problem. For example, if you have:

• a long-term health condition
• a disability
• medical equipment that wouldn’t work
• young children

If you have impaired hearing or sight, you might find it hard to hear an alert or read the meter. 

You’ll need to top up your credit

If you have a prepayment meter, you'll need to buy credit for your meter from a top-up point - often a local shop or Post Office. Your energy supplier will give you a top-up card or key. 

If you find it hard to get to a top-up point, for example if you’d have to travel a long way - you could get a smart meter with a prepayment setting.

If you have a smart meter in prepayment setting, you can:

• top up using your top-up card or key

• top up online or through an app on your mobile phone

If you top up online, you should still keep your card or key in case you need to use it - for example, if the app isn't working.

You won't be able to get the best deal

With an old-style prepayment meter you'll pay more than you would on the best direct debit deal. There are also fewer tariffs and suppliers to choose from.

You won’t find many energy tariffs on price comparison websites at the moment - this is because of changes in the energy industry. If you don’t find a better tariff than the one you’re already on, it’s probably better to wait until deals are available again.

You’ll pay a daily fee

As well as paying for the gas and electricity you use, you pay a daily fee for being connected - known as a standing charge. You pay this with a normal meter too, but when you're on prepayment you need to have credit to pay it - even on days when you don’t use any gas or electricity.  

You still have to pay the daily standing charge even if you don't have any credit on your meter. When you next top up, you'll have to pay back all the standing charges that you owe.

The amount of the standing charge depends on where you live and what tariff and supplier you have. 

Next steps

If you don't want to move to prepayment but your supplier wants you to, you might be able to keep paying for energy after you use it. 

If you want to move to prepayment, you might want to get an old-style prepayment meter installed.