14 March 2014
Waveney MP Peter Aldous visited the Kessingland Supermarket on Friday to find out more about PayPoint. This is a service which enables consumers to pay essential household bills such as utility  prepayments, council tax and TV licences at local shops. 
 
Many people pay for their gas and/or electricity via prepayment meters, using plastic keys or cards issued by the energy companies. Sometimes, they have prepayment meters because they don’t have a bank account, so cannot pay by Direct Debit or online, sometimes it’s because they fell into arrears with their energy bills and the energy company installed a meter to prevent them falling further into debt. Whatever the reason, when supply is getting low, they need quick, easy and convenient access to a system that enables them to ‘top up’ their meters. PayPoint provides that system through its network of terminals located in convenience stores, newsagent, forecourts and supermarkets. 
 
Waveney residents visited a PayPoint shop 4,745 times to top up their gas or electricity prepayment meters over the three bank holidays overChristmas (Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day). Without this facility, many of them, especially those who are vulnerable and financially disadvantaged, would have had to go without power and/or heating over the festive period because the only other loading facilities were closed. 11 of the 43 PayPoint shops in Waveney were open on 25 December, enabling 141 residents to purchase their energy needs on Christmas Day itself. There is no charge to consumers for this facility.
Mr. Aldous commented: - “PayPoint is playing a vitally important role in enabling people to pay for essential services in a convenient and cost effective way. Much of its success is down to the hard work of local convenience store owners who remain open in the evenings and on Bank Holidays to serve their communities.”