Molly Ayala
Many electricity providers offer 'friendly non-disconnection hours' or 'friendly credit hours' to ensure that your electricity supply is not disconnected during certain times of the day, even if you run out of credit. These hours vary depending on the provider and the type of meter, but they typically cover evenings, weekends, and bank holidays. It's important to note that these friendly hours are not applicable to gas Pay As You Go meters, and your supply will be disconnected if you run out of credit. Additionally, emergency credit, which is built into your meter, can be used to keep your electricity supply on until you can top up, but it needs to be repaid along with any standing charges and payments towards an outstanding balance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Electricity disconnection at night | Depends on the type of meter and the supplier |
| Electricity disconnection during non-working hours | Yes, but some suppliers provide 'friendly non-disconnection hours' |
| Friendly non-disconnection hours | 6 pm-9 am (Monday to Friday), midnight-9 am (Saturday), 4 pm (Monday)-9 am (Tuesday) on weekends, and all day on public holidays |
| Emergency credit | £10 built into the meter, £30 in winter for traditional gas meters |
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What You'll Learn
- Prepayment meters have different 'non-disconnection' hours
- 'Friendly credit' hours are a safety function to ensure your supply won't turn off
- Emergency credit is built-in to keep supply on until topped up
- Smart meters have a 'Friendly Credit' system that triggers if credit runs out during 'Friendly Credit' hours
- 'Friendly Hours' vary between energy suppliers
Prepayment meters have different 'non-disconnection' hours
Prepayment electricity meters have different non-disconnection hours, which means that you won't get cut off if you run out of credit during these times. These hours are typically during periods when it is difficult to get to a shop to top up your credit, such as in the evenings and overnight. For example, your energy supply will stay on during the following times:
- Monday to Friday, from 6 pm until 9 am the next day
- Saturday from midnight until 9 am, and from 4 pm until 9 am on Monday
- All day on Easter Sunday, 25 and 26 December, and 1 January
It's important to note that these non-disconnect hours may vary depending on your energy supplier and the type of meter you have. Additionally, traditional gas prepayment meters do not have non-disconnection hours, so your gas supply will be cut off if you run out of credit overnight or on a Sunday or bank holiday. However, all smart Pay As You Go meters, for both electricity and gas, do have non-disconnection hours.
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'Friendly credit' hours are a safety function to ensure your supply won't turn off
Prepayment electricity meters often provide 'friendly non-disconnection hours' or 'friendly credit hours' to ensure that your supply won't be disconnected at night or during other specified times. These hours vary depending on the energy supplier and the type of meter. During these hours, your energy supply will stay on even if you run out of credit and emergency credit.
For example, E.ON Next offers Smart Pay As You Go Friendly hours from 4 pm to 10 am Monday to Friday, during which they won't disconnect your supply if you accidentally run out of credit. Weekends and bank holidays have different friendly hours. SSE Airtricity N. Ireland provides friendly credit until 11 am the next day if your credit runs out after 4 pm on Monday to Thursday, and until 11 am on Monday if your credit runs out after 4 pm on Friday or over the weekend.
It's important to note that the Friendly Credit system may only work with smart meters, and it will only trigger if your credit runs out during the specified friendly hours. Traditional electricity meters may not have friendly credit hours, and once you run out of credit, your supply will turn off.
Additionally, emergency credit is typically built into your meter to keep your supply on until you can top up. This emergency credit usually amounts to £10 and needs to be repaid along with any standing charges and payments towards an outstanding balance.
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Emergency credit is built-in to keep supply on until topped up
Many electricity suppliers offer emergency credit to their customers. This is to ensure that their customers' electricity supply is not disconnected at night, or at other specified times, due to a lack of credit. This is often referred to as 'non-disconnect hours'. For example, Bord Gáis Energy provides its customers with €20 emergency credit. If this credit is used, the customer will need to top up by at least €25 to use it again. The supply will not be disconnected until 9 am the following day (or 10 am during summertime) if the credit runs out after 4 pm (or 5 pm in summertime).
Similarly, OVO Energy offers a 'Friendly Credit' system, which is available to its smart meter customers. This system ensures that the customer's energy supply is not disconnected during 'Friendly Credit hours', which are from 6 pm until 9 am the next day, Monday to Friday, from Saturday at midnight until 9 am on Monday, and from 4 pm on Saturday until 9 am on Monday.
Scottish Power also provides its customers with emergency credit. Their meters have £10 emergency credit built-in during the summer and £30 in the winter. This credit is intended to keep the energy supply on until the customer is able to top up their meter.
It is important to note that emergency credit is not free and must be paid back, along with any standing charges and payments towards an outstanding balance.
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Smart meters have a 'Friendly Credit' system that triggers if credit runs out during 'Friendly Credit' hours
If you have a smart meter, you can benefit from the Friendly Credit system. This system ensures that you won't be disconnected from your energy supply during certain times of the day, even if you run out of credit. These are known as "non-disconnect hours" and typically include the following:
- Monday to Friday, from 6 pm until 9 am the next day
- Saturday from midnight until 9 am, and from 4 pm until 9 am on Monday
- All day on Easter Sunday, 25 and 26 December, and 1 January
It's important to note that the Friendly Credit system only triggers if your credit runs out during these specified Friendly Credit hours. If your credit runs out outside of these times, the system will not activate. Additionally, the system is designed specifically for smart meters, so it may not be applicable to other types of meters.
To take advantage of the Friendly Credit system, you need to ensure that you have activated emergency credit before your regular credit runs out. This can usually be done when your balance drops below a certain threshold, such as £1. Once activated, you will see a message on your smart meter indicating that "Emergency credit" is selected, and later, when you start using it, it will display "Emergency credit in use". This emergency credit provides a buffer to allow you to top up your meter and avoid disconnection outside of the non-disconnect hours.
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'Friendly Hours' vary between energy suppliers
It is true that your electricity supply can run out at night if you are on a prepayment plan and you have run out of credit. However, many energy suppliers provide 'friendly non-disconnection hours' or 'Friendly Hours' during which your electricity will not be cut off even if you run out of credit. These hours vary between energy suppliers and the type of meter you have.
For example, E.ON Next offers different friendly hours depending on the type of meter. KBA meters will disconnect when credit runs out unless it is an Economy 7 meter, which will stay on between midnight and 7 am. KBB meters will provide £5 of emergency credit, and the meter will disconnect when this credit runs out unless it is an Economy 7 meter, which will stay on between midnight and 7 am. KBD meters will also provide £5 of emergency credit, and the meter will disconnect when the credit runs out, but for meters fitted from mid-2009 onwards, there will be no disconnection if you run out of credit in the late evening, usually around 6 pm to 9 am.
OVO Energy offers non-disconnect hours from 6 pm to 9 am on weekdays, from midnight to 9 am, and from 4 pm to 9 am on weekends. On Easter Sunday, 25 and 26 December, and 1 January, OVO Energy does not disconnect meters at any time. It is important to note that the Friendly Credit system at OVO Energy only works with smart meters and is only triggered if your credit runs out during the Friendly Credit hours.
EDF Energy also provides non-disconnection hours for its customers, although the specific times are not mentioned on their website.
It is always a good idea to check with your energy supplier to understand their specific policies and friendly hours for prepayment customers.
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Frequently asked questions
Your electricity supply may be temporarily disconnected if you run out of emergency credit. However, some providers offer 'friendly hours' or 'non-disconnection hours' during which your supply will not be disconnected even if you run out of credit. These hours vary between providers and meter types, so check with your provider to find out more.
Smart meters have a 'Friendly Credit' system that provides credit during certain hours of the day. If your credit runs out during these hours, your supply will not be disconnected. Outside of these hours, your supply may be disconnected if you run out of credit.
You can top up your meter at any Post Office or Payzone outlet, or at a PayPoint outlet if you have a traditional meter. If you have a smart meter, you can top up using your energy provider's app or at any Post Office, PayPoint or Payzone outlet.
Traditional electricity meters can hold up to £255 of credit, while traditional gas meters can hold up to £999.99.
