[JoeSoap]

Funny what you think about when you can’t sleep. I just had a, ‘Eeee, when I were a lad’ moment.

Early 1960s I remember my mum going to the rent office every week to pay the rent. I also think she went to ‘The Electricity Board’ to pay the electric.

The people across the road had a meter that you had to put shillings in to keep the electric on. For those who may not know, a shilling (also called a bob) was worth twelve pennies and is known today as 5p. I remember the lady frequently knocking on the door with perhaps a sixpence and two ‘thrupenny bits asking if we had a shilling for the meter.

The meter was set to take a bit more than the actual cost so when ‘the man’ came to empty the meter you got a rebate.

No pre-payment cards or keys or codes. Just a shilling was needed and a neighbour would always lend you one just like they would a cup of sugar.

I’m not sure how long that shilling lasted back then, but on my tariff I could probably light a room for an hour.

Ah, nostalgia isn’t what it used to be…

… It will be one day though.

[meldrewreborn]

@JoeSoap
the gas man used to sit at our kitchen table, count out the contents of the meter, do some calculations, give you back the excess ( so you had few coins for the future) and take the rest away. Must’ve been strong to carry that around all day. Did anybody check those calculations for accuracy?

I only ask because I was once helping close down a counter service shop, the manager was retiring, and told us His secret to always turning a stock profit. Easy lad, said he, on the scribbled bill adding up the customer’s shopping, you add 6d to each one! Trust was important but people were really ripped off!

[Andy65]

I think everything was paid in person, and in cash @JoeSoap as far as I can remember. People knew how to budget and it was passed down to most our age, there was also an importance on having a contingency. It seems common these days to live to your means so it's no surprise that some get into difficulties when prices and/or interest rates increase.

[JoeSoap]

Originally Posted by meldrewreborn

Did anybody check those calculations for accuracy?

I can just see the piles of shillings all at the same height for ease of counting. My parents and uncles were in the small shop game and there was always a bob to be made somewhere. Perhaps the gas man was no different.

[JoeSoap]

Originally Posted by Andy65

It seems common these days to live to your means...

… or beyond

[Anasa_EONNext]

@JoeSoap Love this! I was just saying to my team the other day that we use to have to put money in the TV to make it work and money in the electricity meter, and I remember getting the change back when the meter man came to empty it! I was born in '81 and we didn't have central heating until 1988 lol!

When it got changed to where you had to put cards in the meter there weren't many 'hole's in the walls' and if the closest one was out of order we'd have to walk a good few miles in any weather to get the meter topped up! can always remember borrowing a £1 or £2 from the neighbours to top up the meter along with borrowing milk and sugar.. Awww the good old days! It was a luxury when the 'pop' man came and the 'egg and butter man'!

[Tommysgirl]

Originally Posted by JoeSoap

Funny what you think about when you can’t sleep. I just had a, ‘Eeee, when I were a lad’ moment.

Early 1960s I remember my mum going to the rent office every week to pay the rent. I also think she went to ‘The Electricity Board’ to pay the electric.

The people across the road had a meter that you had to put shillings in to keep the electric on. For those who may not know, a shilling (also called a bob) was worth twelve pennies and is known today as 5p. I remember the lady frequently knocking on the door with perhaps a sixpence and two ‘thrupenny bits asking if we had a shilling for the meter.

The meter was set to take a bit more than the actual cost so when ‘the man’ came to empty the meter you got a rebate.

No pre-payment cards or keys or codes. Just a shilling was needed and a neighbour would always lend you one just like they would a cup of sugar.

I’m not sure how long that shilling lasted back then, but on my tariff I could probably light a room for an hour.

Ah, nostalgia isn’t what it used to be…

… It will be one day though.

Great post. When I was young, in our area the rent collectors used to call door to door every week to collect the cash, and everyone had a rent book to record the transactions. For quarterly electricity bills you could buy stamps at shops and post offices and stick them on a card which you then took to the Electricity Board shop on receipt of your bill, to reduce or cover the whole cost of the bill. I can remember my mum and grandma doing that.

[JoeSoap]

@Anasa_EONNext

We never had a TV that you had to put money in. There was only two channels, BBC and ITV. Telly used to start some time around 11am and finish before midnight. I'm pretty sure it ended with the national anthem and then emitted a loud whistle to wake you up and remember to switch it off.

Speaking of holes in the walls.. did you know that the first person to use a cashpoint in the UK was Reg Varney, aka Stan Butler from On the Busses?

[JoeSoap]

@Tommysgirl

Everything was door to door wasn't it? Even the 'gasman' used to wear a uniform with a peaked cap... just like bus drivers, ambulance 'men' etc.

[Tommysgirl]

@JoeSoap
I remember the TV being only two channels, and black and white no colour pictures until much later. The Test Card still photo with music playing, as you say until about 11 am, and the National Anthem at closedown at around 11pm. Most people in this area used to rent their TVs from Rediffusion, buying TVs came at a later date.