Prepayment meter tariffs: Flexible Pay As You Go energy plans
Take control of your energy spending with a British Gas prepayment meter. Our Pay As You Go tariffs make it simple to top up gas and electricity as you need it. Plus, sign-up for PeakSave and get half price electricity every Sunday from 11am to 4pm.
What’s a prepayment energy meter?
If you have a prepayment meter (also called a Pay As You Go meter) you pay for your gas or electricity before you use it. You do this by topping up your meter using a gas card or electricity key at a local Payzone or Post Office. If you have a smart meter, there are a few more topping-up options. When you use gas or electricity, your prepayment meter will use up your available credit until it runs out - you’ll then need to top-up again.
Why join British Gas on a Pay As You Go tariff?
Enjoy the advantages of a British Gas Pay As You Go tariff.
Never left in the dark
If your prepayment meter runs out of credit during evenings or weekends, we help keep your home powered until you can next top up.
Easy, flexible top-ups
Add credit to your gas and electric prepayment meters at thousands of Payzone shops, Post Offices, or - if you have a smart meter - with just a few taps in our app or online.
£10 emergency credit
üIf you run out of credit unexpectedly, you can get £10 of emergency credit to keep your energy flowing until you’re able to top up your prepaid meter1.
Uswitch Energy Awards
Best overall improvement
Winner 2025 & 2025
Existing customers – Pay As You Go (PAYG) tariffs
Need help with your prepayment meter?
Get help with topping-up, or if you’re having trouble adding credit to your prepayment meter, plus lots more.
Want to change to a credit meter?
We can change your meter from Pay As You Go to credit.
Moving home?
If you’re moving in or out of a home with a Pay As You Go meter, you’ll need to tell us.
Switch to smart Pay As You Go with British Gas
A more flexible and convenient way to manage your energy at home.
What are the pros and cons of a prepayment (Pay As You Go) meter?
The pros
- You can have control of how much and how often you top-up
- As you pay for your energy before you use it, you won’t get a big bill at the end of the month or quarter
- Your meter shows how much credit you have left, so you can stay on top of your spending
The cons
- If you don’t top-up your meter up with enough credit, you won’t have gas or electricity
- You’ll need to top-up more in winter, when the weather is colder and it’s darker
- You need to make sure there’s always enough credit on the meter to cover standing charges, even when you’re on holiday, for example
Half-price electricity every Sunday
When you join PeakSave, you'll automatically be included in our weekly Sunday events, when electricity is half price from 11am-4pm.
Can I switch suppliers with a prepayment meter?
Yes, you can. If you’re on a prepayment meter (sometimes called a prepaid meter or Pay As You Go meter), you’re free to switch to another supplier as long as you don’t owe more than £500 for gas or electricity.
If you’re renting your home, you can still switch, as long as the energy account is in your name and you’re the one topping up your meter.
When switching to British Gas, you’ll join our Pay As You Go tariff automatically. Once your account is active, you can ask to change to a credit meter or explore other gas and electric plans.
What's a smart prepayment meter?
A smart prepayment meter, also known as a smart Pay as You Go (PAYG) meter, offers convenient ways to manage your energy:
Online Top-Up
Easily top up your meter online through our website or app.
Over the phone
Top up on our automated telephone line, with no need to queue to speak to anyone.
Smart Card
Use your smart card to top up at local Payzone outlets or the Post Office.
Real-Time Usage
With a Smart Energy Monitor, track your energy usage in real-time. So you know when to turn down or switch off your home’s devices to make savings.
Effortless future top-ups
Digital smart card available online and on our app which you can store in your mobile wallet and top up in just a few clicks.
If you haven't yet upgraded to a smart meter, ask us to install one after joining us.
What’s the standing charge on a prepayment meter?
As well as paying for any gas and electricity you use, you’ll pay a daily fee for being connected – this is called the standing charge. You pay a standing charge with a standard meter too.
When you're on prepayment you need credit on your meter to pay it - even on days you don’t use any gas or electricity.
The amount of the standing charge you pay will depend on where you live and what energy tariff and supplier you have.
Additional support if you’re struggling to pay
Extra help from the Priority Services Register
If you're vulnerable or could be at risk if there’s a problem with your energy supply, join the Priority Services Register. It’s free and gives you helpful services like planned power cut warnings and free gas safety checks.
You can join our Priority Services Register if we supply your gas or electricity.
Warm Home Discount – Pay as You Go (PAYG) electricity
Warm Home Discount is a yearly payment of £150 towards electricity bills for eligible customers. It’s usually paid in March. If you’re entitled to the discount and have a Pay As You Go electric meter, we’ll send you a Post Office voucher, with instructions on how to collect the credit and add it to your meter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the standing charge on a prepayment meter
As well as paying for any gas and electricity you use, you’ll pay a daily fee for being connected – this is called the standing charge. You pay this with a standard meter too. When you're on prepayment you need credit on your meter to pay it - even on days you don’t use any gas or electricity.
The amount of the standing charge you pay will depend on where you live and what energy tariff and supplier you have.
Why doesn’t British Gas offer a no-standing-charge prepayment tariff?
If it sounds too good to be true...
These suppliers charge a very high rate for the first kWh of the day. This works out to be a similar cost as having a standing charge and a single rate.
As a rule, a ‘no standing charge’ prepayment tariff only makes sense if you have periods where you’re not using energy. E.g. the property is a holiday home or it's empty for long periods.
Get a quote online in seconds and see how we compare.
Are prepayment meter tariffs more expensive than normal tariffs?
Since July 2023 all prepayment customers saw their energy prices lowered to match the costs of paying by Direct Debit. This was introduced by the UK Government, and saves a prepayment energy customer around £21 a year (Source Government website). We brought forward this price reduction in April 2023 for all our Pay As You Go customers, so they started saving earlier.
What happens if my prepayment meter runs out of credit and I can’t top up?
Most meters warn you when your credit falls to £2. If you can’t afford more credit or are unable to top-up, our meters provide £10 of Emergency Credit for gas or electricity. We also offer Friendly Credit on conventional electricity key meters and smart meters during certain period - mainly overnight, weekends and English Bank Holidays. This means that if you accidentally run out of credit, the meter won’t cut you off during these periods.
Do I need to submit meter readings for a Pay As You Go tariff?
No - if you're on Pay As You Go your readings are sent to us each time you top up.
Can I change my meter type?
If we supply your energy and you qualify, we can change your meter from Pay As You.
Can I have both gas and electricity on a prepayment meter?
Yes, you can have both gas and electricity prepayment meters. You pay for your energy before you use it by topping up a key for your electricity meter and a card for your gas meter. If you have smart meters, you’ll top up using a card for both.
What’s the difference between a smart meter and a prepaid meter?
Smart meters and prepaid meters both track energy usage, but the biggest difference is in how you pay for your energy. With a prepaid meter you pay before you use your gas or electricity by topping up your credit. With smart meters you pay after usage, typically monthly.
Prepaid meters allow you to budget and control your energy usage more easily, while smart meters offer advanced automation and information features like real-time monitoring, usage history and alerts.
Additional information
If you use Emergency or Friendly Credit, you’ll need to repay it at your next top-up.