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Run out of gas credit

It’s normally a surprise when you run out of credit on a prepayment gas meter. It’s is very a common occurrence, especially during the colder months when usage increases. This guide can help you understand why it happens and how to resolve it. This can prevent your heating and hot water from staying off for long.

Why Do You Run Out of Credit?

  • Increased Winter Usage: Heating your home uses significantly more gas than just cooking or heating water. This can drain credit much faster than expected.
  • Standing Charges: Even if you aren’t using any gas, your meter deducts a daily “standing charge”. This is a fixed daily fee for being connected to the grid. If you haven’t topped up in a while, these charges can build up and leave you with a negative balance.
  • Debt Repayments: If you have an existing debt with your supplier, a portion of every top-up is taken. This is to slowly pay back the debt while keeping some credit.
  • Forgot to Top Up: Prepayment meters require manual intervention at a shop or via an app to add credit. If you are busy or distracted it is possible to forget to top up. This is unlike a standard credit meter where you pay via monthly bill.

What to Do If You Run Out

1. Activate Emergency Credit

Most UK gas meters offer £10 to £20 of Emergency Credit. This is a small “buffer” to keep your gas running until you can reach a top-up point.

How to get it emergency credit

For traditional meters:

  • For card meters: insert your gas card. A message like “EC Offer” or “Press A for Emergency Credit” will usually be displayed. Follow the instructions which normally say press A hold B etc.
  • For smart meters: Add emergency credit via your In-Home Smart Meter (IHD) or your supplier’s app.

Note: You must pay this back in full during your next top-up before you can use it again.

2. Check for “Friendly Credit Hours”

Many suppliers have “Friendly Credit” or “Non-Disconnection” hours. This means they won’t cut your supply off at certain times. This is usually evenings (usually 6 PM to 9 AM), weekends, or bank holidays, even if your credit hits zero. You will still “owe” the cost of the gas you use during this time, it isn’t free credit.

3. Contact Your Supplier Immediately

If you cannot afford to top up and your emergency credit is gone, call your energy supplier. They are legally required to help you if you are in a vulnerable position or struggling. They can often:

  • Provide Temporary Credit remotely (especially on smart meters).
  • Send you a Fuel Voucher that you can redeem at a Post Office or PayPoint.
  • Adjust your debt repayment rate to make it more affordable.

4. Reconnecting the Supply

If your gas has already gone off, simply topping up will not be enough. For safety reasons, most meters require you to manually “re-arm” the system.

  • Turn off all gas appliances. If your boiler tries to fire when the valve is opening the gas meter will lock again.
  • Follow the on-screen instructions on your meter. This usually involves holding down “Button A” or “Button B”. This opens the internal valve and restores your gas supply.

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