Open Rant Thread

[electrotor]

People that have nothing better to do than go on about other people's spelling and language  :laugh:

regards
Andy

This is a open rant tread so is eggsempt from them kinda comentz.

[FPVSteve]

Something that really pissed me off the other day - minimum amounts for payment terminals.

I was in the Co-Op and this young girl was in with two toddlers (her kids) in front of me in the queue, and she was paying for electricity and gas on one of those pre-pay card things you put in a meter.

She had £9 on her, and put £5 on the electricity and wanted to put £4 on the gas as that's all she had. They said no because the payment terminal company had a "minimum of £5 per transaction policy". WTF. Some people just don't have the cash, it's a fact.

So they'd sooner someone would go cold than suck up a few pence in charges?

I gave the girl a quid so she could put her gas on because she her voice was starting to crack as she said she had no heating on - talk about kicking people while they're down.

[MarkLloyd]

Yeah, they need to change their business name... 

Worth a quid to know they'd all be a bit warmer   :)

[FPVSteve]

It's not the fault of the Co-Op staff, but the PayPoint people who process the payments.

[iPeel]

I like Intaxification - The feeling of euphoria at getting a refund from HMRC, which lasts until you realise it was your money to begin with.

Grandification - this example is a real one.

We are engaging the services of an external organisation to leverage the temporary hiring volume = we are hiring temps through an agency.

[MarkLloyd]

Yes I suppose. 

It's a pity the limit is applied to pre-payment meter cards. Usually people on those are really struggling.

I think those pre-payment meters work out out more expensive than normal billing.  Anyway, nice gesture Steve,
with two toddlers it would have been miserable to have gone home without any heating.

[Drone 5]

+1  Nice one Steve.

[BigT]

Yes I suppose. 

It's a pity the limit is applied to pre-payment meter cards. Usually people on those are really struggling.

I think those pre-payment meters work out out more expensive than normal billing.  Anyway, nice gesture Steve,
with two toddlers it would have been miserable to have gone home without any heating.

The reason for the £5 min charge is that the meter has to have a minimum of £5 credit for emergency use. If it runs out of normal credit the meter asks if you want to use the emergency credit. If you do it must me topped up first. That's why there is a min charge. And pay as you go power is no more expensive than a credit account, you can swap tariffs just the same providing you are not paying off a energy debt.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[wgt40w]

And pay as you go power is no more expensive than a credit account,

Are you sure about this ?  In rented houses pre payment card meters are usually set with tariffs that are much more expensive per unit than 'normal' direct debit or quarterly tariff type meters.

[FPVSteve]

Are you sure about this ?  In rented houses pre payment card meters are usually set with tariffs that are much more expensive per unit than 'normal' direct debit or quarterly tariff type meters.

+1 for that, when I had a meter back in the day it was extortionate. Especially for gas. I moved into a different house which didn't have a pre-pay meter and I paid so much less for my energy it was really noticeable. Hence my distaste for prepay meters and kicking poor people while they're down.

[Coyote]

Pay meters are always more expensive than DD accounts.

[Ratty]

Yup, best tariffs are given to those who pay DD.


If you haven't switched your service provider recently, you could save hundreds by switching BTW.  ;D

[Robotnik]

Karma sent to you Mr W.
I found this today on Martin Lewis money savig site.

'The cheapest prepayment meter tariff costs, on average, roughly £1,025/year. Yet the cheapest tariff for credit meter customers is currently around £750/year, a saving of £275/year. Balance the saving with the cost of swapping meter to help you decide.'

Not fair is it?

[FPVSteve]

Actually I've just switched my tariff myself ... I was paying £144/month for electricity all last year (no debt, direct debit) :o  .. now suddenly they've told me I can have a flat £88.14/month rate fixed til Feb 2017? Not complaining but WTF?

I think they just make it up tbh.

[FPVSteve]

Actually - new rant!

How can they charge different rates for electricity? And who would want a more expensive tariff?

It's not like you can get premium electricity - "now with extra electrons!" "TWICE the speed of conventional power!" is it? :laugh: