Welcome to SmarterPAYG
For those customers who do not wish to have a quarterly bill we can offer to switch your account to our 'pay as you go' with our new SmarterPAYG service. Topping up credit is simple and easy, There are several options available to choose from and the customer can pick the most convenient for them. Using a credit or debit card, you can buy credit through the SmarterLiving app or via our SmarterLiving web portal on our website.
If you do not wish to use the app or the web portal, you can still top up in one of several shops, You can find the list of shops where you can top up here.
The app is free and downloadable from the Apple Store for Apple or Google Play store for Android devices.
If you wish to be a pay as you go customer you will need either an email address (to use the app) or a mobile phone number to be a sms (text by mobile) customer.
Your guide to SmarterPAYG
Please take a look at our “Your guide to SmarterPAYG” which will tell you everything you will need to know.
You can also check out this short video here that will introduce you to the options available for topping up your SmarterPAYG meter.
Topping up via the SmarterLiving App
Once you have become a pay as you go customer you can top up your account in several ways. One of which is by using the SmarterLiving App which allows you to check you consumption, balance and top up at any time using your credit or debit card.
How to top up on the SmarterLiving app
- Download the SmarterLiving app by visiting the App Store for Apple or Play Store for Android devices.
- You will receive an invitation to register for a SmarterLiving account to the email address that Manx Utilities have on record for you.
- Register your account and create a password (your email will be directly linked to your account once registered).
- Starting at the home screen, press ‘Top up’.
- Type the amount you would like to add and fill in your card details.
- The maximum credit balance you can have on your account is £250. You will receive an error message if you try to exceed this limit.
- Click ‘Make Payment’.
- You’ll then receive confirmation of your top-up.
Please note that Manx Utilities will need a current email address if you wish to use the app.
If you need to change your email address and/or mobile number, please call 01624 687675 or email accounts@manxutilities.im so that we can update our records.
Topping up via the SmarterLiving web portal
To make topping up even more convenient you can add credit using our web portal on our website. To access the web portal you will still need to have an email address registered with manx Utilities. You will receive and invitation to create your SmarterLiving account.
How to top up on the web portal
- Start by clicking on the SmarterPAYG button. This will take you to a landing page that will provide you with a secure link to the SmarterLiving web portal.
- Log in using the details of the account/password you created.
- Starting at the home screen, press ’Top up’.
- Enter the amount you would like to add and fill in your card details.
- Click ‘Make Payment’.
- You’ll then see the confirmation of your top-up.
Topping up in a shop
Pay as you go is still available for those customers who do not have a smart phone or access to a computer to access the web portal or who simply do not wish to use these devices for managing their account. However, the minimum requirement for pay as you go is a mobile phone number. This number needs to be registered on your Manx Utilities account, and will need to be updated if you change your number. SMS customers will need to top up at the shop using their account number and will receive a SMS message to confirm the value of the top up.
Your account number is a unique 8-digit number that will be provided when the smart meter is installed at your property or if you already have a smart meter, when your account is changed to pay as you go, it also appears on the SMS alerts. For those who have the app you can find the account number in the help page.
How to top up in-store
- Go to the retail outlet, making sure you have your account number.
- Go to the till and ask a staff member to top up your SmarterPAYG account.
- Tell them your account number and the amount of credit you would like to add.
- Pay with cash or card.
- The credit will be applied to your account immediately. You will receive an SMS text receipt confirming the amount you have topped up your account by.
If you are in credit, the minimum top-up is £5.
The maximum credit balance you can have on your account is £250. You will receive an error message if you try to exceed this limit.
Customers who use the app or the web portal can still top up in a shop if they choose to do so by using their account number which can be found under the HELP icon on the SmarterLiving landing page.
Please find the list of shops where you can top up your SmarterPAYG account here.
Frequent questions for SmarterPAYG customers
We understand you may want to know more. Below is a list of frequently asked questions regarding SmarterPAYG.
We can set up your account as SMS and this will allow you to keep an eye on your balance and will send automatic notifications by text message to your mobile phone when your account is getting low. You can also check your balance by texting a dedicated number 60777 which will provide you with a text response of the current balance.
If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by calling 687687 or freephone 0808 1624 115, where we can talk through your choices.
It is very important to us that all payments you make are secure. Our online payment partner Worldpay will securely manage all transactions. Your bank may also request extra security checks to ensure your online safety.
The minimum and maximum top up amounts are:
- If you are in credit, the minimum you can top up is £5
- If you have been disconnected, after exhausting the emergency credit then the minimum amount of top up is the current negative balance plus £1 (your account must be at least £1 in credit for the reconnection process to apply).For example, if your balance is -£8.20 your top up must be £9.20 so that the balance after the top up is £1.00.
You can check your balance at any time using the SmarterLiving App, web portal or if you are an SMS customer, by texting the dedicated number with you account number to 60777.
If your credit runs out during our non-disconnect times, the electricity usage, standing charge and any debt repayment will continue to be deducted and require to be paid at your next top-up.
- The maximum balance at any time on your account cannot exceed £250 Therefore the maximum top up you can do is dependent on the balance at the time of your top up.
Should you run out of credit, you can implement the credit option which provides £6 emergency credit to allow time for you to top up. Your account balance will allow you to run into the red by £6 and you will be able to reconnect your supply withing 30 mins. When this runs out the supply will disconnect, and your account will be in a negative balance position. To enable a reconnection, you must top up enough so that your balance is a least £1 in credit (please see minimum and maximum top up amounts).
Customer who use the App must implement their emergency using the option in the app, SMS customers who do not top up before their balance becomes 0.00 have their emergency credit automatically enabled.
As a pay as you go customer, you are paying for your consumption as you use it. The only time your supply is disconnected is if you run out of credit or emergency credit (if applicable).
Manx Utilities have implemented a non disconnect period for pay as you go customers so that no one disconnects outside of business hours to ensure that help is always available to those customers who need assistance.
Regardless of you balance you will not disconnect after 4.30pm or before 8.30am (Monday to Thursday) and after 4pm (Fridays) non disconnect applies from 4pm Friday until 8.30am Monday and on all public holidays. Note that consumption, daily standing charges and debt repayments continue to be applied during these periods they simply do not trigger a disconnection should any of these transactions reduce your balance below £0.00.
There is only one domestic tariff and it is the same for both billed customers and prepayment customers and applies to those customers who have a smart meter installed and those customers who are waiting for an appointment.
We would encourage you to check your usage on the SmarterLiving app which allows you to view consumption down to every 30 minutes. Check to see if this matches what you expect in terms of your usage in your home. You may be able to identify certain appliances that cost you more to run, in particular space or water heating. When there is a change of season this can also attribute to a higher cost.
If you have a debt applied to your account which you are repaying daily, this is added to consumption and daily standing charge for a total deduction per day, if you are in this situation and feel that you require a more convenient repayment schedule, contact the Customer Care team on 687675 or Freephone 0808 1624 115.
Once you have downloaded our SmarterLiving app and registered your account, you will be able to see what is going on with your electricity usage anytime, anywhere. In near-real-time, you can view your hourly, daily, weekly and monthly usage to keep on top of how much you are spending.
The balance is available on the ‘money’ page in the app, it updates automatically when you open the app, if you feel that this hasn’t happened you can go to settings and click on refresh data.
Our pay as yo go non-disconnect rules ensure that you will not disconnect when you run out of credit/emergency credit outside of Manx Utilities’ operating hours including weekends, during the night, or on public holidays.
Manx Utilities’ opening hours are from 08:30 to 17:00 Monday to Thursday, and 08:30 to 16:30 on Fridays.
For emergencies outside this time, call 687687.
Please find the list of shops where you can top up your SmarterPAYG account here.