Prepaid gas and electricity

The provider may charge you for the free meter if you switch away to a different supplier before 12 months have passed, so it can recoup its costs.

It can't dictate which tariff you opt for though, so make sure to check its cheapest tariff.

Prepayment meters do have one advantage – they help you budget. You know what you're spending, when you're spending it, and it's an incentive to keep energy usage down.

While most suppliers don't charge for changing your meter, some do. If yours does charge, it's probably not worth switching to a standard meter right now, as prepay customers currently pay £48/year less on average than those paying for their energy by Direct Debit (for the same usage).

However, those on standard credit meters are likely to benefit from more competitive deals when cheaper fixed energy deals return, so this is worth considering if you're thinking of switching from a prepayment meter.

You'll need to contact your existing supplier to let them know you're moving. On your moving day, take a photo of your meter as proof of the amount of credit left on it. You can then ask the supplier to refund you - it'll usually send you a cheque in the account holder's name, to your new address.

If you're sticking with the same supplier at your new address, you may be able to transfer the credit to your new prepayment meter. Check with your existing supplier before you move.

If you haven't been able to get a standard credit meter for free and fit into either of these groups, it may still be possible to swap.

• Get certain benefits? A Government scheme, Fuel Direct, lets you pay your bills directly from your benefit allowance. To be eligible for the scheme you have to receive certain benefits.

  Energy suppliers may agree to remove a prepay meter if you agree to sign up to Fuel Direct. None have confirmed this and they say it's decided on a case-by-case basis, but it's worth a try.

• Medical condition? According to charity Citizens Advice, if you have mobility problems or are reliant on electricity for medical reasons, for example, to run breathing apparatus, you may be able to get your prepay meter removed.

With most providers, the key is ensuring you're free of energy debt. After that, you need to make your credit score look as good as possible – see how to Improve your credit score guide for more help.

Even if you pay energy bills to the supplier, but your tenancy agreement says you can't switch, challenge it. Preventing a tenant from changing energy suppliers may be viewed as an unfair term in a tenancy agreement. Speak to Citizens Advice to see if it can help.

If there's a default supplier clause in the tenancy agreement – where a landlord has a tie-in with a particular supplier – Ofgem says you can still switch.

Ofgem's guidance states: "If a tenant is directly responsible for paying the gas and/or electricity bills, they have the right to choose their own energy supplier and the landlord or letting agent should not unreasonably prevent this." See the Ofgem website for more.

Tenants can also print out our factsheet to give to landlords. It explains the rights that renters have to switch energy supplier.

Tenants can also get free insulation and boilers, as long as they meet suppliers' eligibility criteria and have permission from their landlord.

You may be able to qualify if you live in a property with an EPC rating of E to G and:

• Someone living at the property qualifies for certain benefits, such as pension credit, universal credit, child benefit (subject to income limit), income support and housing benefit. See the full list of qualifying benefits; OR
  

• You live in social housing, or are considered by your local council as being on low income (total household income under £31,000 a year) and vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home.

It's not just how you pay, but how much you use. Cutting energy is a mix of big and little things.

Turn down the thermostat and wear jumpers, defrost the fridge and check it's not on too high, turn lights off when you leave a room, use energy-saving light bulbs and don't leave electrical goods on standby.

We've put together a huge list of Energy Saving Tips as well as Energy Mythbusters for loads of ideas and inspiration to help you cut back your energy usage.

Smart thermostats can also help some save on their energy bills. These gadgets give you greater control over your home's heating, letting you adjust it on the move via a mobile app or online, and set more complicated heating schedules than your traditional thermostat.

They can be pricey though, so see the Smart Thermostats guide to check if they're right for you.

If you're going away, you need to leave enough credit on the meter to cover the daily standing charge, even if usage will be low. Otherwise you may find your credit runs out and appliances switch off while you're gone.

If you've moved into a home with a prepayment meter, tell the existing supplier immediately and don't use the old tenant's top-up card.

Otherwise you may end up having to pay someone else's debt just to get an energy supply. The supplier must, under a code of conduct, reset the meter as soon as reasonably possible.

Lose your card and you'll usually be charged around £10 for a replacement. Any top-ups you've already made should be transferred to the new card.

If you've got a traditional pay as you go meter, you can top up by taking your gas or electricity key or card to your nearest Payzone or PayPoint, which is usually a local shop, or at the Post Office.

But if you have a smart pay as you go meter, you can also top it up online, by text, over the phone or via a mobile phone app. Check your supplier's website or contact it for full info.

You don't need to send a meter reading in if you have a prepayment energy meter.

The purpose of giving a meter reading is to stop your supplier from guessing your usage – with prepayment meters you pay for your energy as you go, so there's no need to supply this.

The table below shows the average unit rates per kilowatt hour (kWh) and standing charges per day (these vary by region) under the current Price Cap (from 1 January to 31 March 2025) and the new Price Cap (1 April to 30 June 2025).

You can see the full region-by-region unit rates in our Energy Price Cap unit rates guide.