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If you have received a new gas card in your Home Energy Top Up pack make sure you have activated it by inserting it into your gas meter for 1 minute first then go to step 1 below.

If you're an electricity customer, you should continue using your existing key, then:

1. go to Home Energy Top Up
2. plug the Home Energy Top Up connector into your computer's USB port.
3. if your computer advises you to download some software, follow the links to the relevant website and install the software.
4. when the download has finished, insert your gas card or electricity key into the connector.
5. click on register on the British Gas site and enter your Customer ID (you'll find this on the letter that came with your connector).
6. you can now top up. When you top up for the first time you may be asked to download ActiveX. Accept the application and follow the on-screen instructions

Home Energy Top Up can be used on a PC or laptop, not a Mac.

To use Home Energy Top Up, your PC or laptop should have:

• Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7
• Internet Explorer 6.0 7.0 or 8.0
• a USB port

How to check what version of Internet Explorer you have:

1. go to the Control Panel.
2. go to System
3. system Properties will appear which will tell you if you are using one of the compatible Windows systems.
4. if you have Internet Explorer, open an internet browser window.
5. go to Help in the control bar.
6. select About Internet Explorer.
7. a box will appear to tell you which version of Internet Explorer you have.

Forgotten Username

Don't have your customer ID? Call us on 0800 107 0188*, we're open weekdays 8am - 8pm and Saturdays 8am - 6pm.

Forgotten Password

Enter you username and answer your security question to arrange atemporary reset of your password. Once you have logged in using this temporary password you can change it to something more memorable.

If you have any other problems? Call us on 0800 107 0188*.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

Yes, this is normal. A driver needs to be installed on your computer to use Home Energy Top Up. Lots of computers do this automatically but if your computer doesn't it will tell you that you'll need to manually download the driver.

To manually download the driver:

1. Go to the download page
2. Choose the driver that matches your Windows operating system.
3. Click Run on the file download window.
4. When it's finished downloading, reboot your computer.
5. Now you should be ready to top up.

What do I need to be able to use the Home Energy Top Up system on my computer

Still having problems? Call us on 0800 107 0188*, we're open weekdays 8am - 8pm and Saturdays 8am - 6pm.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes

On this page:

ActiveX lets your connectors communicate with the Home Energy Top Up website. It only needs to be installed the first time you use Home Energy Top Up (or if there has been an update).

1. Is there still an error on the screen?
2. Which device are you trying to use, gas or electricity?

The first time you try to top up using Home Energy Top Up there should be a bar at the top or end of your screen. This is advising you that windows internet explorer has blocked ActiveX. You will need to allow the download to be able to top up using Home Energy Top Up.

If not you'll get an 'Error communicating with card The ActiveX control has not been installed' message You can resolve this by following the instructions below:

1. Click back on your browser menu .
2. This should take you back to the screen titled 'Top up your gas card'.
3. You should now see the prompt bar at the top or end of the screen.
4. Click on the prompt bar and install ActiveX
5. Once the bar has disappeared ActiveX has been installed.
6. Now click Submit to top up.
7. The next page should ask you to 'choose the amount you'd like to top up'.
8. Your ActiveX has now been installed.

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The first time you try to top up using Home Energy Top Up there should be a bar at the top or end of you screen. This is advising you that windows internet explorer has blocked ActiveX. You will need to allow the download to be able to top up using Home Energy Top Up.

If not installed you'll get a 'Sorry, the ActiveX control for your Home Top-Up connector could not be downloaded' message. You can resolve this by following the instructions below:

1. Click back on your browser menu.
2. This should take you back to the screen titled 'Energy Top-Up'.
3. To top-up your meter please click on the 'Top-Up' link on the left.
4. You should now see the prompt bar at the top or end of the screen.
5. Click on the prompt bar and install ActiveX.
6. Once the bar has disappeared ActiveX has been installed.
7. Now click 'Continue' to top up.

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There could be a few reasons why an 'Error communicating with the card' message appears:

1. ActiveX isn't installed. Find out how to install ActiveX
2. You're using an old gas card. Make sure you're using the new card sent with your pack and it's inserted with the chip facing up. Your new card will have b1.1 on the back of the card bottom right
3. The gas card needs to be activated. Insert your new gas card in your meter for 60 seconds.
4. The gas card is faulty. Do you get an error message on your meter when you insert your gas card? If so, you need a replacement card, please call us on 0800 107 0188*, we're open weekdays 8am - 8pm and Saturdays 8am - 6pm.

Checked all the above? If you still get the error message, please call us on the number above.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

Your security is our priority - which is why we make sure Home Energy Top Up is secure at all times.

The Home Energy Top Up payment process is protected by industry standard security certificates and we use secure banking systems to keep your payment card details safe.

You can protect yourself further by logging off after using Home Energy Top Up.

Electricity customers:

Yes. The Home Energy Top Up website will be able to tell you've had a new meter installed, as shown below.

When prompted by your computer, click Pair Meter.

The website will then ask you to remove the key from the connector and to insert it into your meter for at least 60 seconds.

Put the key back into the connector and select 'continue'. Then, just top up your meter as usual.

Gas customers:

You will need to call us on 0800 107 0188* as you may need to have your Home Energy Top Up account reactivated.

Once we've reactivated your account you'll be able to top up as normal.

*Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

Yes, you can still top up as normal at your local PayPoint store or local Post Office.

Find your nearest PayPoint outlet.

Find your nearest Post Office outlet.