This study aims to discover what the advantages and disadvantages of using prepayment metering to pay for electricity are for consumers. Prepayment meters are installed at the home and credit up-front payments to the household electricity account, and typically disconnect the electricity supply when the prepayment runs out (some meters allow small amounts of debt to accrue overnight or over weekends), reconnection occurs immediately when the meter is recharged and no additional fees are charged for reconnection.
A postal survey of customers using prepayment meters is being carried out from 7 September 2010 to 6 December 2010. We appreciate the support of the electricity retailers who are helping with this study by sending the survey to randomly selected households using prepayment metering.
The survey has questions about prepayment electricity meters, and some questions about the people that live in the house. For example:
• How long have you been using your prepayment meter for electricity?
• How many people live in this house?
Any household member who is over 18 and can tell us about using the prepayment meter at an address that receives the questionnaire can fill in the survey. We ask that these householders then return their survey form to Kimberley O’Sullivan using the prepaid return envelope supplied. The electricity companies will never be shown the survey forms, and the names and personal details of participants will be kept strictly confidential.
Once received, the responses will be collated and the anonymous results of the study will be made available.
The survey will take around 20 minutes to complete. As a token of our appreciation for completing the survey, we will send a $20 supermarket voucher to people who complete the questionnaire and return it to Kimberley with their name and postal address.
If you have been sent a survey and you have any questions, please call us freephone on 0800 100 884 or send an email to Kimberley.