If you cannot top up a prepayment meter, first work out whether you cannot buy credit, have paid but cannot load it, or cannot afford the next payment. Your energy supplier needs that distinction. An electricity network operator cannot resolve a payment on your supplier account.

If anyone depends on powered medical equipment, act on their agreed backup plan while someone contacts the supplier. Do not wait for the credit dispute to finish. Our medical equipment power-cut guide covers that separate decision.

Read the meter before making another payment

Look at the actual gas or electricity meter, if you can reach it safely. Write down the balance, any error message and whether the supply is on. A payment confirmation on a phone does not tell you what the meter has accepted. If you have both gas and electricity prepayment, identify which one has the problem.

If neighbouring homes have also lost electricity, or the cause is unclear, use the checks for no power in your house. A network fault and an empty meter can happen on the same evening. Keep away from damaged equipment, exposed wiring or anything sparking. Call 999 if someone is in immediate danger.

What has happened?Useful next step
The app, website or shop cannot take a payment.Check your supplier's current service notice and its other supported top-up methods.
A payment appears successful, but credit is missing.Keep the receipt and ask the supplier to trace it before paying repeatedly.
The meter rejects a key, card or code.Record the exact message and check the supplier's instructions for that meter.
You cannot afford enough credit.Tell the supplier whether you are already off supply and request affordability support.
The meter is inaccessible.Ask the supplier for an accessible arrangement rather than attempting to move it.

Use another payment route only if your supplier supports it

Some smart prepayment accounts allow online or app payments. Other arrangements use a key, card or barcode at a participating outlet. Ofgem's prepayment guidance explains these differences for Great Britain. Check your own supplier's options before travelling to a shop.

When a payment fails, note the time and the wording on screen. Check whether the bank describes the transaction as pending or completed, but ask the energy supplier to confirm whether it has received the top-up. Do not assume a bank entry proves that usable credit reached the meter.

If a shop is closed, telephone the supplier rather than setting out on a long journey without checking another outlet is open and can handle your top-up. If your phone is also missing, use another trusted device or telephone. The lost or stolen phone plan covers restoring access to household services.

Keep evidence when the credit does not arrive

Keep the receipt, confirmation message and transaction reference. Compare the account or meter identifier on the receipt with your supplier records. Read a rejection message exactly as it appears instead of describing every fault as "not working".

Ask the supplier whether your meter needs a top-up code entered manually and where its instructions are. Use only the procedure for your model. Do not borrow a button sequence from another supplier's video, remove covers or attempt repairs. If the supplier asks you to try something you cannot safely reach or read, say so.

Ask whether any part of the payment has repaid emergency credit, standing charges or existing debt. British Gas's credit guidance, for example, explains that those deductions can affect the amount available for energy. Its meter instructions and figures apply to its own customers. Request an explanation of your account rather than assuming every missing pound is a failed transaction.

Ask about credit and affordability help in Great Britain

Tell the supplier plainly if you have no money to top up. Say whether energy has already stopped, who is affected and whether health or accessibility needs make the situation urgent. Ask what emergency credit or friendly credit your meter offers, how to activate it and when it ends. Do not assume that a weekend, bank holiday or evening automatically protects your supply.

If that is insufficient, ask about additional support credit and a review of repayments. Ofgem's additional support credit expectations require suppliers to consider requests case by case and take ability to repay into account. This is temporary support, not an unlimited allowance or a guarantee of a particular amount.

Before accepting an arrangement, ask how much you must repay, when deductions start and how much of your next top-up will remain for energy. Explain if the proposed payment is unaffordable. Ask what longer-term help is available and record the answer. A credit offer does not resolve an ongoing gap between income and essential costs.

Check your supplier's Northern Ireland arrangements

Northern Ireland has a separate energy market. Do not apply Great Britain credit rules or a different supplier's activation instructions to your meter. Contact your electricity or gas supplier using the details on your bill or its official website.

Power NI's prepayment code describes its own emergency and friendly credit, deductions at the next top-up and help with payment difficulties. It also explains that a tariff change can produce a longer Powercode. Those details are specific to Power NI electricity customers, not all Northern Ireland meters. If your code has more digits than usual, check the complete receipt before assuming it is invalid.

Make the supplier call useful

Have your address, account details, meter message and payment reference ready. A useful opening is, "My electricity is off. I paid at this time, the receipt reference is this, and the meter says this." If you have not paid because you cannot afford it, say that instead.

Write down the case reference, the agreed action and when to contact the supplier again if nothing changes. If you still have no supply, say so before ending the call. Ask for the complaint route if the problem remains unresolved.

While waiting, use the heating failure guide to arrange warmth or a suitable place to stay. Once the immediate issue is resolved, ask about the Priority Services Register and any changes needed to make payment and meter access practical.

Explore the power cuts hub for household plans when an electricity supply is unavailable.

Sources

Sources checked 5 November 2026. Meter instructions and support depend on your supplier and circumstances.