Does a prepaid meter actually save money?

Sinbad said:
But then when they finally read the meter, they recalculate everything and if your estimate is higher than your actual, you get a refund.
The times I've had an estimated reading it's been half of the real reading ...
Click to expand...

Can't you phone in your meter reading?
 
Sinbad said:
But then when they finally read the meter, they recalculate everything and if your estimate is higher than your actual, you get a refund.
The times I've had an estimated reading it's been half of the real reading ...
Click to expand...

Suppose you're right there, but it's still that moment of inconvenience/irritation.

I must say, you've been lucky. All of our estimates towards the end were ludicrous. The last month was twice the amount we were billed for during the previous month. That's what got us to change.
 
I never really expected to save using a prepaid meter. It simply allows more immediate knowledge of how much is being used. In Cape Town, at least if you get from the city, the units cost the same.
 
noxibox said:
I never really expected to save using a prepaid meter. It simply allows more immediate knowledge of how much is being used. In Cape Town, at least if you get from the city, the units cost the same.
Click to expand...

Cost per unit is not influenced by usage?
 
I paid R 600 for an electricity voucher today of which only R 469.83 was used for actual electricity (434.2 kWh). The rest is VAT and a service charge.

I use about 20 kWh of electricity per day. I am one person living alone.
 
Humberto said:
I paid R 600 for an electricity voucher today of which only R 469.83 was used for actual electricity (434.2 kWh). The rest is VAT and a service charge.

I use about 20 kWh of electricity per day. I am one person living alone.
Click to expand...

Huh? VAT can't be charged over and above the amount? How much is the service charge?
 
AFAIK, Prepaid and postpaid cost the same, price differences are based on usage patterns...
 
thestaggy said:
Not 100% sure off-hand, will have to double-check that. It's definitely over R1. R200 buys us less than 190 units.
Click to expand...

It depends on what time of the month you buy. If you buy R200 on the 1st of every month, you'll get about 230 units. Buy R200 at the end of the month and get 190 units. It also differs according to your usage. So buying R1000 on the first will maybe get you more now, but will put you on another level next month. I understand that it also depends on where you buy. Some places will add more profit. Apparently the area you live in affects it too.

Humberto said:
I paid R 600 for an electricity voucher today of which only R 469.83 was used for actual electricity (434.2 kWh). The rest is VAT and a service charge.

I use about 20 kWh of electricity per day. I am one person living alone.
Click to expand...

Should've waited 3 more days.
 
OP, with a prepaid meter you are just more conscious of your usage, because you can see the units being eaten away. Then you start making plans to reduce elec. usage by switching off the geyser certain part of the day, changing light bulbs, etc.

So yes, prepaid will save you moola! (Only if you submit & admit that you're an electricity rapist :p)
 
beans100 said:
It depends on what time of the month you buy. If you buy R200 on the 1st of every month, you'll get about 230 units. Buy R200 at the end of the month and get 190 units. It also differs according to your usage. So buying R1000 on the first will maybe get you more now, but will put you on another level next month. I understand that it also depends on where you buy. Some places will add more profit. Apparently the area you live in affects it too.
Click to expand...
where do you normally buy? I buy at the same PnP Family Store each an every time.
 
beans100 said:
It depends on what time of the month you buy. If you buy R200 on the 1st of every month, you'll get about 230 units. Buy R200 at the end of the month and get 190 units. It also differs according to your usage. So buying R1000 on the first will maybe get you more now, but will put you on another level next month. I understand that it also depends on where you buy. Some places will add more profit. Apparently the area you live in affects it too.

Should've waited 3 more days.
Click to expand...

That's called the block tariff. The more you use, the more you pay. It resets each month.
 
Ekstasis said:
So is it better to buy at the beginning of the month?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. The first block might be 0 - 100 units at 90c; the next at 100 - 500 units at R1.00 and 500 - 1000 units at R1.20 and so forth.

Your monthly consumption will always be the same average amount of units, depending on when you buy them doesn't matter, just how many units you use.
 
Sinbad said:
2nd option is correct.
Prepaid electricity is currently more expensive per unit than postpaid as far as I know. What do you pay per kwh?
Click to expand...

isie said:
the rate per unit for prepaid is more then post paid, the savings that people see comes in as you mentioned they become el cheapo, you dont pay the meter reading fee and you actualy pay for what you use and not the guestimates that you normaly pay - most of the time the estimates are really high thats why people seem to save when moving to pre paid
Click to expand...

No its not, it all depends on the plan youre on.

Have a look and see which plan is best for you.
 
PnP in Joburg at the beginning of the month R400 usually buys 497.6 units at R70.51. so i wait till friday 1st june and pay over R400 - the mothers give me 370 units at R94.83. is it possible the *********s hadn't reset the meter from May - or have they sneaked in an increase?

BTW having that thing showing the consumption sounds like a curse. it must take all the fun out of cooking, boiling the kettle, enjoying a piece of toast, having a hot bath, using an electric blanket, or even keeping the pool blue!
 
For Tshwane the prepaid and normal tariffs are the same price. I switched to pre-paid 3 years ago when I saw a billboard which promised 20% saving. Now, I think I was a fool for not checking properly.

Where it does help, is to buy a lot of electricity before a price increase. I am still using electricity on the pre July 2011 prices, and we are almost at the next increase again. So I made my saving there.

The other nice thing is that there is no stupid readings (happened to my water bill the last 2 months where the first one was double the normal amount, and this month I have to pay nothing for water).

The bad thing is that they block you from buying electricity as soon as there is a payment outstanding on your normal rates/services account.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X