Well, I won't bother to go take a picture of the next card meter I see, because the one DJK has posted is identical to the type used in this area.
One of the buttons is the emergency credit switch, which is operative only when the contactor is open. The other button cycles the display from its default "credit remaining" state through various options: total units consumed, normal-rate units, night-rate units, etc. Many of the PoCos here will also "do a deal" for a high bill where once the card meter is installed they charge, say 10p per unit instead of 7p until
the balance is paid off.
On telephone bills, British Telecom operates in a similr way to EirCom (when did that name take over from Telecom Eireann, by the way?). They restrict a line to incoming calls only while haggling over the best way to clear the bill.
Same with the water utilities here: Disconnection is almost unheard of.
The Irish Govt. seems to treat its pensioners far better than the British: Free bus and train travel, electricity (or gas) allowance of so much per year, free telphone line rental, etc. A couple of years ago over here there was an absolute outcry when the govt. gave pensioners their annual rise and it was just 75p per week extra.
