150,000 expected to top up gas and electricity meters on Christmas Day

Welwyn Garden City, 11 December 2012: With Christmas rapidly approaching, most of us are understandably preoccupied with last minute preparations, but thankfully, there is one less thing to worry about, should you run short of energy at the crucial moment. The majority of PayPoint shops will be open during the festive period, allowing people up and down the country to top up their gas and electricity prepayment meters.

“No heating and a raw turkey are a sure-fire way to ruin your Christmas celebrations,” says Seamus Smith, managing Director of PayPoint UK. “However, if you run out of gas or electricity, the big day doesn’t have to end in disaster. You’ll still be able to top up at many of the 24,000 PayPoint retailers in local newsagents, corner shops and convenience stores over Christmas and New Year when most other shops will be closed.

“Last year, there were 4.3 million gas and electricity meter top-ups at PayPoint over the Christmas and New Year Holidays, and 159,000 of those were on Christmas Day itself. The stores were particularly busy because Christmas fell over a weekend and other stores were closed.”

The vast majority of the 24,000 local neighbourhood shops in the PayPoint network around the country will be open over the bank holidays, with almost half open on Christmas Day. So people will still be able to top up with gas and electricity, load up their mobile phones and spend their Christmas money online using prepaid cards and e-money vouchers by going to their local PayPoint.

In addition, because, PayPoints are mostly in local convenience stores, including garage forecourts and newsagents, they are usually open from early morning until late evening.

“With our nationwide network, almost everyone has a handy PayPoint which will be open when other places they might usually use will be closed. PayPoint retailers are at the heart of their communities, providing a local service to their customers when no-one else is there for them,” adds Seamus Smith.

PayPoint outlets are identified by the distinctive yellow and blue PayPoint logo outside the shops – you can use any of them to make your payments – and if the shop you usually use is closed, you can find another close by at http://www.paypoint.co.uk/locator.aspx.

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