Cheap Prepaid Gas & Elec

Standard meters offer a wider choice of tariffs, including cheap online deals, direct debit discounts and more. It's simply a more competitive marketplace.

Choices are opening up for prepay users, but it's still an outrage that some of society's poorest often pay more for their energy with these meters. So if you can, ditch and switch to a credit meter – usually this involves a credit check and ensuring you've repaid any debt owed to the supplier.

How to switch to a credit meter if you're with a big six supplier, or others that don't charge

If you're with British Gas, EDF, E.on, Npower, Scottish Power or SSE (plus a few others, like First Utility) you can move without being charged. Many smaller providers will charge you to change meter, so always check with yours. 

• Will they allow you to switch?

  To move off prepay, you'll usually need to have paid any outstanding debt on your energy account and be credit-scored, so they can see if there's a risk you won't repay.

  All of the big six suppliers' criteria are detailed in the table below. If you're not with one of the big six, check your supplier's criteria.

• If they let you change, don't then stick with that provider – the real savings come from doing a comparison

  If your provider allows you to switch to a billed meter, suddenly a world of competition and cheap prices is available to you that wasn't before.

  The cheapest prepaid tariff is about £144/yr more expensive than the cheapest billed tariff on the same usage, so here are the two things you need to know once you've a billed meter:
  
  - There are massive price differences, so do a comparison. You'll be put on a standard tariff when you move to a billed meter which is still costly, so do a Cheap Energy Club quick & easy comparison to find and switch to your cheapest. Even if you don't want to switch firm, ask your company to put you on its cheapest tariff.
  - Pay by monthly direct debit. The cheapest way to pay is monthly direct debit, so ensure you select that. You'll have to give your supplier regular meter readings (every few months) to keep it accurate though.

• What if you're unlikely to be able to switch to a credit meter?

  Don't just give up – there are still things you can do, both to save now and to help switch in future.
  
  - Move to the cheapest prepayment tariff. Savings aren't as big here, but the cheapest deals will still save you around £130/yr on typical usage. So do a quick prepay energy comparison and switch to your cheapest. See below for our top picks and how to compare tariffs.
  - (Re)build your credit history. With many providers, the key is ensuring you're free of energy debt. After that, it's also important to make your credit score look as good as possible – see the 35 ways to boost your credit score guide for more help.

How to switch to a credit meter if you're with a supplier that charges you to do so

How to compare prepay tariffs (and also grab cashback)

You can switch and save on prepaid gas or electric meters. Our Cheap Energy Club tool makes switching as easy as possible and helps you get constantly cheap gas and electricity.

All you need to do is tell it where you live and how much energy you use. Then we'll tell you if you're overpaying on your current deal or if there's a cheaper alternative.

But the best bit is we'll keep monitoring your tariff for you every month to ensure you're always on the best deal. Plus, if we can switch you, you'll usually get £25 cashback.

It's also worth checking out the comparisons below – they offer cashback options, too.

The limitations of comparison sites – they don't always show all tariffs

Bear in mind that some comparison sites by default only show you tariffs you can switch to via them (ie, where they're paid commission). This filters out some results unlike Cheap Energy Club which shows you ALL those available by default and always has done.

If you do use a comparison site, always check you're seeing all available tariffs to get the full picture before making a decision.

By clicking via these special MoneySavingExpert.com links specifically to get to the comparison sites and not going direct, you also get paid the cashback or freebies on top, provided they can switch you (see why they pay). It's usually paid in 45-90 days.

If you've less than £500 debt per fuel, you can still switch supplier. This debt will follow you to the new supplier.

Use your prepay meter the right way

If you can't switch away from a prepay meter to save cash, then these tips will help you make sure you use your prepay meter in the right way: