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

Welwyn Garden City, 17 December 2013: With Christmas almost upon us, we’re all thinking about those last minute preparations, the present we forgot to buy and how to get home from the Christmas party. Luckily, one thing you won’t need to worry about is what to do if you run short of energy at the crucial moment as many 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-one wants to wake up to a cold house and still frozen turkey on Christmas Day,” says Seamus Smith, Managing Director of PayPoint UK. “But running out of gas or electricity on the big day doesn’t need to be a disaster. You’ll still be able to top up at many of the 25,500 PayPoints in local newsagents, corner shops and convenience stores over Christmas and New Year when most other shops will be closed.

“Each year, more than 150,000 people are able to top up their gas and electricity meters at PayPoint over the Christmas and New Year holidays, saving many a family celebration.”

The 25,500 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 by loading it onto prepaid cards and e-money vouchers at 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.

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