Energy Budgeting: are Pre-Payment Metres Brilliant?

In these days of economic austerity money is tight and prices are rising whilst we desperately cling on to our jobs that hang precariously like thin stalactites of ice, threatened by the rising February sun. When it comes to talking energy the only topic on our minds is how we can save money, more and more of our corporeal business is becoming dedicated to the use of electrics, whether it is televisions, microwaves, electric toothbrushes or even, for those most extravagant of us; digital watches, therefore any way of saving money on energy bills will be more than welcome. Unlike buying a new boiler which, although it reduces bills, demands a massive lump sum for purchase and instalment, switching your electricity supply to a prepayment metre could be the answer to controlling your usage and saving you money. Prepayment metres work in the simplest fashion, you top up cash on your electric card at a corner shop, your house is supplied with that value of electricity. This simple and see through approach to energy can make the perfect impetus to taking control of your energy consumption and becoming master of your own bills. With traditional bill payments it can be easy to take no heed of the electricity and gas you're using up. Your home is supplied with a seemingly infinite amount of power and there is nothing wrong with using it up, that is until you see your bill after a couple of months, and by then it's too late. A prepayment metre encourages more responsible energy consumption. A prepayment metre also avoids the stress of getting those angry red bills every couple of months. There is little in life more stressful than those heavy demands, intentionally balanced to make themselves as poetically threatening as possible, and after the strain of paying off that first hefty sum there is the numbing inevitability of the next demand. A prepayment metre avoids this red letter rigmarole however as instead you are able to go through the simpler process of wandering down your corner shop and topping up your metre with some cash, and you can pick up some milk whilst you're at it. Although there are drawbacks that mean prepayment metres aren't suitable for absolutely everyone. Many suppliers charge extra for the prepayment metre and there is the easy risk of forgetting or not having time to top up before the corner shop closes and being left without power. Especially for a larger house or family, who will use up lots of power, it means a prepayment plan might be slightly less convenient to remember. But for many individuals with simple needs a prepayment metre can make the perfect budgeting tool.