E.ON Next has increased emergency credit on most of its electricity prepayment meters from £5 to £10, the supplier has confirmed. The change is being applied progressively, and the company says customers are being notified by letter or email as it reaches their meter1.
Emergency credit is the buffer a prepayment meter releases when the balance runs low, allowing supply to continue before a top-up is made. On E.ON Next gas prepayment meters the emergency credit is £10, available once less than £2 of credit remains1. The electricity increase does not apply everywhere at once: meters that have not yet been updated still release £51. Consumer body Which? records the same split, listing E.ON Next as offering £10 per fuel for most customers and £5 for some electricity meters2.
"Emergency credit for most electricity meters has increased from £5 to £10 (we've sent you a letter or email telling you this). We're still rolling out the increase - so if we haven't been in touch yet, your emergency credit is still £5."
The supplier's own guidance states that emergency credit is intended for occasions when a household cannot afford to top up or cannot reach a shop, and that it should be used only in emergencies1. E.ON Next prepayment customers can top up by website, app, Post Office, PayPoint or Payzone2. Top-ups must be in whole pounds1.
Emergency credit levels vary by supplier. Which? lists British Gas, Ecotricity, EDF Energy and E.ON Next at £10 per fuel, with E (Gas & Electricity) at £15 per fuel on smart meters and £10 on traditional meters, and Octopus Energy at £10 per fuel on smart meters and £20 for gas and £10 for electricity on traditional meters2.
| Supplier | Emergency credit |
|---|---|
| British Gas | £10 per fuel2 |
| E (Gas & Electricity) | Smart meter: £15 per fuel; traditional meter: £10 per fuel2 |
| Ecotricity | £10 per fuel2 |
| EDF Energy | £10 per fuel2 |
| E.ON Next | £10 per fuel for most customers, £5 for some electricity meters2 |
| Octopus Energy | Smart meter: £10 per fuel; traditional meter: £20 gas, £10 electricity2 |
Around four million homes in England, Scotland and Wales have pay-as-you-go energy meters2. For the price cap period from 1 June to 30 September 2026, average prepayment electricity unit rates are 25.32p per kWh with a standing charge of 57.19p per day, and average gas prepayment unit rates are 7.07p per kWh with a standing charge of 29.04p per day2. From 1 October to 31 December 2026, average prepayment electricity unit rates are 25.52p per kWh with a standing charge of 54.83p per day, and average gas prepayment unit rates are 7.7p per kWh with a standing charge of 29.68p per day2.
Why it matters for households
Emergency credit is the last line of supply before a prepayment meter runs out. Doubling the electricity buffer from £5 to £10 extends the time a household can keep the lights and appliances running while a top-up is arranged, though at the rates above £10 of credit covers only a small number of days of average electricity use. The credit is borrowed against future top-ups, so it is recovered when the meter is next charged rather than being a grant.
Because the increase is being rolled out meter by meter, two E.ON Next electricity prepayment customers can hold different buffers at the same time. The supplier says it has written to customers whose meters have been updated1. Households that have not received a letter or email still have £51. The level of emergency credit available on a prepayment meter therefore depends on the meter's software as well as the supplier's policy, and on a smart meter the change can be applied remotely.
For a household's energy independence, the size of the buffer matters less than how quickly it can be replaced. Emergency credit is a short bridge, not a substitute for credit on the meter, and it sits alongside the wider rules on supplier conduct on prepayment and debt, including the £30 credit per meter that suppliers must give if they move a household onto prepayment2.
What happens next
E.ON Next has not stated a completion date for the rollout. The company says customers will be told by letter or email when the increase reaches their meter, and that until then their emergency credit remains £51.
Sources2 cited
- Five things you need to know about prepayment meters, eonnext.com
- Prepayment energy meters explained - Which?, which.co.uk