Code of Practice on Pay as you go meters

We’ll ensure our customers understand our pay as you go meter charges

Pay as you go meters are an easy way to pay for your gas and electricity.

1. The meter is pay as you go - no direct debit or security deposit.
2. It allows you to pay for your energy supply before you use it.
3. It can help you to manage arrears

When we install a pay as you go meter we’ll provide you with details of our gas or electricity charges. We’ll also let you know upfront of any additional charges in connection with pay as you go meter(s) when you sign up.

Customers will receive an annual statement; customers with an outstanding balance will receive a statement three times a year. If you build up a credit and wish to have this refunded at any point please call customer service on 0818 81 22 20.

Criteria to qualify for a pay as you go meter are currently as follows:

1. 24-hour meter – with no Priority Services / life support facility on the premise.
2. The account holder will be made aware of our Code of Practice on Vulnerable Customers.
3. The pay as you go meter can only be used for the recovery of costs for the supply of natural gas or electricity and cannot be used for the recovery of debt for any other additional services or products.
4. The customer must show financial difficulty in paying their account.
5. If you don’t meet these criteria, (for example, you’re a Priority Services customer), there are payment arrangement options available to you. For details of these options, contact our Customer Service Team on 0818 81 22 20.

Pay as you go lifestyle meter

The pay as you go lifestyle meter is SSE Airtricity’s property. You will be billed based on consumption recorded on the credit meter. We’ll let you know on your pay as you go statement if there is any outstanding balance left from your credit meter or a difference in usage between your credit and PAYG meter. If this happens please contact our Customer Service Team on 0818 81 22 20. The account holder will be made aware of our Code of Practice on Vulnerable Customers.

Topping up

When a pay as you go meter is requested you will be issued with a pay as you go card for topping up – please keep this safe.

If you don’t have a pay as you go card or have lost yours, please contact our Customer Service Team on 0818 81 22 20. We’ll issue you with a replacement electricity card free of charge. Gas cards are available from any shop where you can top up, charges may apply depending on the shop.

You can top up your electricity online through sseairtricity.com or gas and electricity at any Payzone or An Post outlet. You can view approved Payzone outlets at: payzone.ie/paywithpayzone. Please be aware that using an unauthorized vending facility may cause difficulties with your supply.

When you buy an electricity top-up you will be given a power code (usually a 20-digit number) to enter into your meter.

If you lose your power code before keying it into the meter, you can ring our Customer Service Team on 0818 81 22 20 and we’ll re-issue the power code to you, free of charge. The energy supply will cut off if there is no credit on the meter.

Alternatively, you can return to your Payzone or An Post agent who will re-issue you with your last receipt free of charge.

Electricity Friendly credit

Weekdays – If your credit runs out after 4pm, Monday to Thursday, your meter will use friendly credit and the supply will stay on until 9am the following day.

Weekends – If your credit runs out after 4pm on a Friday, your meter will use friendly credit and the supply will stay on until 9am the following Monday.

Holidays – For holidays: 1 January, 17 March, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, St. Stephen’s Day and 31 December – friendly credit will leave the supply on until 9am the following day.

Remember the next time you top up, the amount of friendly credit used will be deducted in full from your top up payment.

Emergency credit

If you run out of electricity credit outside of the hours listed in friendly credit you will start to use the emergency credit. Emergency credit is set at €20 and gives you time to purchase credit from one of our authorised outlets. When the emergency credit has run out the supply to your premise will disconnect.

If you run out of credit on your gas pay as you go meter, the meter will offer you €20 emergency credit that you can accept by pressing button A.

Important information on standing charges:

If you’re away from your home for a period of time, standing charges and other charges will continue to be deducted from your meter credit. Please ensure you have enough credit on your meter at all times.

Paying back used emergency credit

For electricity - the next time you top up your electricity meter, the amount of emergency credit used will be deducted in full from your top up payment.

For gas - the next time you top up your gas meter, up to 45% of the emergency credit used will be deducted from each top up thereafter until it has been cleared. You can check how much unpaid emergency credit is owed on your gas meter by pressing button A twice.

Useful Information

Moving house or changing supplier?

Don’t top up more than you need to when you’re making arrangements to move house/supplier. If you contact us prior to your move and advise us that there is unused credit on the meter we can refund the balance to you. If you experience difficulty or have any questions please contact our Customer Service Team on 0818 81 22 20.

What happens when the electricity price changes?

Power codes usually have 20-digits. However when you buy a top-up after a change in electricity prices you will be given a special 40 or 60-digit power code. This will credit your meter with your top-up amount while updating it with the new price details.

What if I have previous arrears on my account?

If you have any arrears, a percentage of each top-up you buy goes towards reducing the arrears until they are cleared (maximum 10%). We’ll take into consideration your financial needs when applying the recovery rate. We’ll send you a statement of your arrears at least 3 times a year until this is cleared. In addition, your statements, will show the amount of energy you have used and the amount of credit you have bought. We’ll send you a letter or email once your arrears have been cleared. You can call our customer service team on 0818 81 22 20 to see up to date information on your balance and how long it will take to clear or log into My Account.

Are you registered as a Vulnerable Customer?

There are circumstances where Pay as you go meters may not be suitable for your household. This may apply if you or a member of your household has now or at any time in the future a vulnerability, such as but not limited to, hearing, mobility, vision impairments or is dependent on electricity for medical reasons. The CRU has put in place measures to protect vulnerable customers against disconnections during certain periods of the year. However, customers with pay as you go meters are not protected under these measures. Supply will self-disconnect regardless of the time of year if there is no credit on the meter. If you would like to register a vulnerability or discuss the suitability of your pay as you go meter, please call our customer service team on 0818 81 22 20.

What if I want to remove my Pay as you go meter?

If a Pay as you go meter no longer suits your needs, you can switch your meter to a credit mode. To do this, please call our customer service team on 0818 81 22 20. We’ll work with you to find the solution that best suits your needs.