Power NI increased the emergency credit on its Keypad pay-as-you-go meters from £1 to £3 on 1 August 2023, the supplier has confirmed in its help guidance for Keypad meters in Northern Ireland.
Emergency credit is the amount a meter releases when the balance runs out, and it is recovered from the next top-up. Power NI states that when a householder turns the low-credit warning sound off, £3 of emergency credit is given automatically. If the warning sound is left on, the supply switches off; pressing any button then brings the £3 emergency credit back on after a few seconds1.
"Please note that emergency credit increased from £1 to £3 on 1 August 2023."
The supplier also operates a separate emergency credit arrangement called friendly credit, which keeps supply on outside normal top-up hours without using the emergency credit allowance. On weekdays, if credit runs out after 4pm in winter or 5pm in summer, Monday to Thursday, supply stays on until 8am in winter or 9am in summer the following day. If credit runs out after 4pm in winter or 5pm in summer on a Friday, supply stays on until 8am in winter or 9am in summer the following Monday1.
Friendly credit also applies on four dates, with supply staying on until 8am in winter or 9am in summer the following working day: 1 January, 17 March, 12 July and 25 December. For households on Economy 7, an electric vehicle tariff or extended friendly credit, those morning cut-off times are later, at 11am in winter and 12pm in summer1.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Emergency credit from 1 August 2023 | £3 (previously £1) |
| Minimum top-up | £5 at Post Office, PayPoint, online account or app |
| Maximum meter credit | £999.99 |
| Friendly credit, weekday evenings | Supply stays on until 8am winter or 9am summer |
| Friendly credit, weekends | Supply stays on until 8am winter or 9am summer on Monday |
| Friendly credit dates | 1 January, 17 March, 12 July, 25 December |
Both emergency credit and friendly credit used are deducted from the balance at the next top-up, Power NI states1. The supplier's guidance on topping up a prepayment meter notes that the minimum top-up is £5, that a top-up produces a 20 digit code to enter on the keypad, and that credit cards cannot be used for online Keypad top-ups2.
Why it matters for households
For a household on a prepayment meter, the size of the emergency credit allowance sets how long the lights stay on once the meter reaches zero. At £1, the buffer was small enough to be consumed quickly by ordinary use; at £3 it covers more time, though how much depends on what is running in the home. The allowance is not free electricity: it is a loan from the supplier that is taken back out of the next top-up, so a household that uses it will see a smaller amount of credit than the amount paid for.
Friendly credit works differently, in that it applies at particular times rather than being drawn down at any point. Its value is in the hours it covers, particularly weekend evenings and the four listed dates, when topping up is harder. Together the two arrangements determine how much warning a household gets before supply stops, which is the main point at which a prepayment meter affects a home's control over its own electricity.
What happens next
No further change to the emergency credit level has been reported. The £3 figure and the friendly credit hours remain as set out in Power NI's Keypad guidance1.