Will they force prepayment?

[Cookered]

Hi,
i’ve messed up my energy bills massively. I’ve had an awful 12 months and have let things slide. I’ve not updated meter readings and now find myself £1700 in debt to Scottish power
I can’t afford to clear the balance immediately. They’re calling me tomorrow to discuss options. I’d like to set up a payment plan to clear the debt over a couple of years ideally. Are they likely to accept this?
I’m terrified that they’ll try and force me to have a prepayment meter. I’m on their priority register as I have physical and mental health difficulties. Are they likely to try and force prepayment on me?

Been awake all night stressing over this

They may want a combination of slow repayment with prepay in the meanwhile

I had this problem a 7 years ago when I moved house and gave a final meter reading.
There is only so far they can backdate the payment as they are also expected to do a meter reading I think it's every 36 months for them so you may not need to pay the full £1700 back
I believe I repaid at £40 a month - they couldn't push for more as I had to pay current bill and repayment without experiencing hardship. It was also interest free.
Don't panic, just talk, be clear on what you can repay per month considering your payment will go up and offer them just below what you think you can afford so you've room to negotiate if needed

Hi! What can you afford to pay monthly towards the debt? If it's a fair amount, they might take that into consideration.

The idea of the prepayment meter is to prevent this from happening again, do you have the funds to pay for your consumption going forward, or is there a risk this could build up again? If there's a risk, they might want a prepayment meter to prevent you ending up owing more in the future.

Just be clear on the phone what you can afford - perhaps write down your main points beforehand so you've got it available and take your time on the phone. Make sure to clarify everything with them and note it down too - it'll save any confusion!