The PayPoint network was selected by Powergen to provide a pre-payment electricity meter token service for their customers because of its wide coverage, extended opening hours and its establishment as the most popular method of making energy pre payments in cash. Launched in 1997, PayPoint now serves up to 5 million customers of over 400 bill-issuing organisations each week at its 11,000 outlets in newsagents, convenience stores, supermarkets and garages all over the UK.

In addition to the already comprehensive coverage of over 95% of UK households (within 1 mile in urban areas and 5 miles in rural areas), PayPoint has worked, and continues to work, with Powergen to ensure its pre-payment meter token customers are well served following the withdrawal of the sale of tokens at Post Offices.

PayPoint is particularly sensitive to the needs of such customers in rural areas. However, its efforts to establish payment agencies in some outlying localities with few shops have often been frustrated by the inability of otherwise willing independent traders with sub-Post Offices to have PayPoint terminals installed because the Post Office prevents them.

Applications from any retailers in rural areas of Norfolk and Suffolk not bound in this way, who would like to offer the PayPoint service in their communities, will continue to be welcomed by PayPoint. At present there are 112 PayPoint outlets serving the two counties. We understand that Powergen also sells tokens through more than 250 other outlets, not under PayPoint management in Norfolk and Suffolk.