Prepayment Tariff Principal Terms
Prepayment Tariff
Principal Terms
V0.1 September 2024
The Principal Terms are a summary of the key points within your contract; however, these are not a substitute for the full Terms and Conditions. It’s recommended that you read both documents.
You must pay for your electricity and/or gas from us by topping up your meter before you use the energy. We won’t send you a monthly bill, but we will provide you with details of the amount of electricity and/or gas that you have used, any top up payments you have made, and any other amounts that you owe to us.
Contract Duration
Our Prepayment tariffs are variable with unit rates and standing charges not exceeding the published price cap.
Prepayment variable tariffs are subject to price changes, and we will notify you at least 10 days in advance of any change.
The Tariff is continuous, which means it will only end when you switch supplier, if we choose to end it, or should you agree a new contract with us, or where we are instructed to under a Supplier of Last resort action.
Where you haven’t expressed a formal request to be supplied by ourselves, however you occupy the property, the prepayment tariff is in effect a deemed contract.
You can leave at any time without notice and with no penalty unless there are any outstanding debts on the Prepayment meters. – see ‘Leaving Us’
Our Charges
Our Prepayment rates are priced at or below Ofgem’s current price cap.
The charges for the supply of your gas/electricity are detailed in your welcome letter and on our website.
Your rates and standing charges are loaded onto your meter by us, you can see your charge rates on your Prepayment meter via the display unit, please be aware that it may take several top ups on a traditional meter to update the rates. Refer to the website for further information.
Rates and charges in line with your existing and previous tariffs will appear on your Prepayment statements.
Billing and payments
You will receive regular statements for Prepayment instead of monthly bills.
Having a Prepayment meter, you will be expected to maintain your usage on both gas/electricity meters, you can do this by topping up using your PayPoint card, or meter key or online through a Smart meter. Please see our website on how to do this.
If you are struggling to reach, read or top up your meter or have any other questions around using your meter, please contact the customer services team.
You may receive your annual statements in paper or electronic form. This includes accessing your statements online, where we have your details and agreement through your online account.
Payments toward outstanding debt on the meter can be arranged by contacting our customer service team, these will be recovered alongside your daily usage at an agreed recovery rate.
When joining or leaving us with an outstanding debt, we’ll liaise with your current supplier. You are free to transfer to an alternative supplier, where the debt is less than £500 per meter.
Smart Meters
Where we are communicating with your smart meter, you will be able to top up remotely via online/App or use your usual methods of PayPoint or meter key.
For a small number of Prepayment smart meters, we may not be able to communicate with your meter initially. Please contact us if this is the case.
Installation / Suitability
Should you request a Prepayment meter to be installed at the property, we will assess the suitability of you managing and accessing your meter before installation is done.
Moving Home
Where you have moved into a property that’s already supplied by Ecotricity please contact our customer service team and provide your details. This allows us to set your Prepayment account up as soon as possible, provide alternative tariff options and the necessary payment information and means to top up your meter.
Should you wish to change to a Smart Credit meter, you will be subject to a credit check, which will be used to determine the tariff offerings.
If you are moving home and wish to take us as your supplier, please contact our customer service team at least two working days before the day you move, and we will discuss tariffs and send the necessary payment information and means to top up your meter.
Where you don’t contact us, you may remain responsible for any energy used in the property.
Leaving us
If you are supplied by a prepayment meter, you may switch supplier if the debt that you are repaying is less than £500 per meter and your new supplier agrees to take on this debt.
Possible additional charges and discounts
Please note that Ecotricity may charge you in relation to any additional costs incurred due to ancillary matters relating to your supply. There is a non-exhaustive list of examples of additional charges within our help and support guides.
Struggling to Pay / Support
If you’re having trouble paying your energy usage, we’ll do everything reasonably possible to help, this could be through the setting up of a payment plan, bringing an affordable repayment rate of any debts alongside your daily usage, also directing you to the appropriate debt advice charities.
Prepayment emergency support credits, if you are struggling to afford to top up your meter, we can help you. Just contact us, call, or log into your online account
Where we see you may be struggling to afford to top up on the Prepayment meter or running low on credit regularly, we may contact you to offer support where needed.
If you need help with an energy problem, or if you’re struggling to pay for the energy you use, Citizens Advice is the official source of free and independent energy advice and support. They will support and provide any independent advice required.
Go to citizensadvice.org.uk/energy or call them on 03454 04 05 06 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. Calls are charged at your normal rate and all calls are confidential.
Complaints
If you do need to make a complaint, you should contact our Customer Services Team to enable us to resolve it. The team will do their best to resolve the complaint, however if you’re still unhappy with our response you can speak to our Customer Contact Specialist Team.
Should you remain unhappy with our resolution of the complaint, or if your complaint has not been resolved within 8 weeks of the date you told us about it, you could refer the matter to the Ombudsman Services: Energy on 0330 440 1624 or at ombudsman-services.org/sectors/energy. They are free and independent, and we are bound by their decision.
Supplier of Last Resort
Should you be switched to us because of your previous supplier exiting the market, we will take reasonable steps to conduct any agreement made with Ofgem, including honouring any credit balance held in your account with your previous supplier. Please note that the above elements are provided as a limited guide only, please take the time to read the full Domestic Terms and Conditions along with your Supply Contract as this is a legally binding agreement.