Prepayment meters (also known as pay-as-you-go meters) are a handy way of controlling how much energy you use by paying for it in advance. By only topping up your meter with how much credit you want to use, you can make sure you stay on top of your energy bills and don’t overspend. In the colder months, it’s especially important to plan ahead with a prepayment meter to make sure you have enough credit to keep your home warm (and avoid having to pop out in the cold for more credit in case of an emergency).
In January, the price cap (which limits the unit price of gas and electricity), rose by 1% or £21 for the average household with a prepayment meter, making energy bills £1,690 a year.1 So let’s take a look at some ways you can optimise your energy use with a prepayment meter, including the best times to turn your heating on and the benefits of upgrading to a smart pay-as-you-go (PAYG) meter.
When is the right time to turn the heating on?
If you have a prepayment meter and are wondering when to turn the heating on, here are some things to consider:
Outdoor temperature.
To help look after your health, the NHS recommends turning on the heating when the temperature drops below 15°C.2 If the average daily temperature outside is below this, then it’s likely to be a good time to consider switching on the heating. A lot of people start to turn their heating on in October for this reason.
Time of day.
If you have a boiler, then it’s more energy efficient to turn your heating on at the times when you need it, rather than having it on around the clock. For example, you could schedule your heating to turn on about 30 minutes before you wake up and turn it off about 30 minutes before you go to bed.
If you’re heading out, remember to turn the heating off if nobody’s home. When you get back to a cold house, it can be tempting to turn the thermostat up higher to try and heat the place up faster. But don’t. It won’t get warmer any quicker and you could be wasting energy. Your thermostat will work best if you set it to a comfortable temperature and leave it.
Room temperature.
If you’re not sure what temperature to switch your thermostat to, the Energy Saving Trust recommends setting it somewhere between 18°C and 21°C.3 If the home is feeling cold, it’s especially important to turn the heating on if someone in the home is older or has a medical condition. But if it’s safe to turn your thermostat down by just 1 degree, you could reduce your heating costs.
For example, turning your thermostat down from 22 to 21°C could save you £90 a year in Great Britain and £100 in Northern Ireland.3 The Met Office says that if you are under the age of 65, active and wearing the right clothing, a comfortable temperature may actually end up being slightly lower than 18°C.4
The room you are in.
If you have a zone heating system and are able to adjust the temperature depending on the room, then remember that different rooms in your home may have different ideal temperatures. For example, living rooms, home offices and bathrooms are usually comfortable at a higher temperature, and bedrooms and kitchens can be more suited for lower temperatures.5
Home insulation.
Of course, turning on the heating is a matter of personal comfort. If your home is well-insulated, then you’re less likely to need to turn the heating up. For example, if you take steps to draught-proof your home, then cold air is less likely to enter your house and heat is less likely to escape. Double-glazed windows, wall cavity insulation and roof insulation can also help keep the heat trapped in.
Why should you consider a smart PAYG meter?
A smart PAYG meter combines the flexibility of a prepayment meter with the convenience of a smart meter. Here’s why you should consider getting one:
Pay online or with the E.ON Next app.
A smart PAYG meter means you can still pay for your energy as you use it, and you can do this with the added convenience of using the E.ON Next app or going online. That means that rather than having to go to the shops to buy credit on a freezing day, you can simply curl up on the couch and top up from the comfort of home.
Monitor your energy use in real-time.
Your smart PAYG meter also comes with an in-home display, which makes it easy to check exactly how much credit you have left and see how much energy you’re using in pounds and pence. That way, as well as setting a budget for your energy spending, you can monitor your energy use in real-time and even spot ways to save a little extra energy here or there.
Get alerts when you’re low on credit.
When you switch to a smart PAYG meter with E.ON Next, we’ll also help you stay on top of your energy use by giving you alerts when your credit is running low. Plus, if you do run out of credit, we won't disconnect you on weekends, UK Bank Holidays or between 4pm and 10am Monday to Friday.
How else can you manage your energy costs with a prepayment meter?
Not only can improving your home’s insulation help with energy costs, you could also be eligible for help to make your home better insulated with government grants and schemes. These include:
Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS). The scheme will run until March 2026 and supports you to add cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, and underfloor insulation to your home.
Home Upgrade Grant (HUG). This government initiative will deliver up to £700 million in funding to local authorities to improve homes in England with energy-efficient upgrades and low-carbon heating.
ECO4. This is an Energy Company Obligation and government scheme to help Britain's most vulnerable households to keep warm and save money by improving their home's energy rating. In the last 15 years, E.ON has installed over 1.5 million energy-saving measures in over 450,000 households across Britain.
People who are struggling to pay their energy bills in the colder months could also benefit from the Warm Home Discount Scheme - a one-off payment of £150 to help with energy bills. If you have a prepayment meter, your electricity supplier can tell you how the discount might work. For example, you may get a voucher you can use to top up your meter.
With a prepayment meter, it’s especially important to plan ahead for your energy costs. If you don’t already, we recommend topping up your meter all year round, so that you build up credit during the summer which you can spend on extra energy to heat your home in the winter.
Remember that even when you are not using energy, you’ll need to pay the standing charge. So, making a habit of topping up regularly will ensure you stay on top of your payments. As we begin a new year, now is the perfect time to look back at your annual energy use and prepare a monthly budget for the year ahead.
If you want to see how your actions make a difference for your energy costs, then switch to a smart PAYG meter to see how these tips can help you save money and energy in real-time.