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Original poster

Pregnant with no gas heating

56 replies

firsttimemummyd · 01/02/2020 10:29

I moved into a new property on Monday 27th January I am 8 months pregnant and have been trying to get EDF to sort the gas prepayment meter that had been left in debt by the previous tennant. They are basically ignoring me!! It took 48 hours to get the electricity sorted.

I only want to be able to use the meter in the short term to get moved in and decorated and then move to a proper supplier and get rid if the prepayment meters.

Can they legally leave me with no heating when 8 months pregnant?

On another note, what us the point of prepayment if you allow people to run up £20 plus worth of debt ???!!! Appalling customer service from this shower

OP posts:
Mrsemcgregor · 01/02/2020 11:03

cuckoo being pregnant makes you more vulnerable to illness, hence why pregnant women get the flu jab and various other health related advice when it come to staying away from certain things. Being cold also makes you vulnerable. That’s why pensioners get the fuel allowance.

Tombliwho · 01/02/2020 11:04

I don't understand how pregnancy is relevant here? I'd understand more if you had a newborn. We're not in Siberia.
Just keep on at them and either pay the debt and then try to get it back or borrow a temporary heater.
Its a slight annoyance not an absolute catastrophe.

AdaKirkby · 01/02/2020 11:06

Ombudsman

www.ombudsman-services.org/

They are only legally allowed to charge you for what YOU have used. A threat to report them to the ombudsman should do the trick (as it costs the energy company to fight an ombudsman claim). Followed by an actual complaint, if they don’t buck their ideas up.

Sorry OP, energy companies are shit.

cuckooken · 01/02/2020 11:07

Really? Your struggling to see how being pregnant might make someone vulnerable? Really?

In the context of informing your energy's supplier you are pregnant, yes. Yes I am. I was not aware this was something people did when they were pregnant. It never crossed my mind and despite many years on the internet it isn't something I have seen mentioned as a thing to do when you get a BFP.

AmelieTaylor · 01/02/2020 11:08

EDF need to treat her as vulnerable

She’s not vulnerable, she’s pregnant, that’s all 🙄

She has electricity, so she’s not even without the ability to heat the house.

Getitwright · 01/02/2020 11:13

You need to prioritise. Do you want to argue and huff and puff over a mere £20, or do you want to put your unborn baby and your own health second? If £20 is causing this much internal misery, you are in for one heck of a roller coaster ride when your baby does arrive.

Buy an electric heater, will come in for emergencies, pay the bill, and reduce the stress, keep healthy.

Blunt I know, and no intentions of trying to upset you, but don’t get in a huff about trivia, you have far more important things about to happen.

JRUIN · 01/02/2020 11:26

I, my 3 siblings and most of my friends were born in the 60's/70's into homes with no central heating. Just saying.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 01/02/2020 11:28

Just pay the £20 and sort later rather the playing the pregnancy card.

If you can afford the costs a child brings then it’s not an issue.

WorldEndingFire · 01/02/2020 11:32

Contact:-

  • Citizens Advice Bureau
  • Your local councillors

...and if they continue to stall, the local media.

thecatneuterer · 01/02/2020 11:34

Is £20 a typo? Do you mean £2000 or something? If it's really just £20 then pay it and sort it out later.

TriangularRatbag · 01/02/2020 11:36

Get an electric heater from Argos.

cuckooken · 01/02/2020 11:39

I suspect as OP hasn't returned that they have got what they wanted from this thread.

Saladd0dger · 01/02/2020 11:53

I don’t think it’s the previous tenants debt. Probably the weekly charge for the meter as the property has been empty. Just top up and reclaim it after. If you have no key you can collect one from a PayPoint that has spares

WhatshouldIdo123 · 01/02/2020 12:00

Not sure why being pregnant is relevant. You're not ill. If it is causing you that much discomfort just pay the £20 and sort it out later rather than being such a martyr

JosefKeller · 01/02/2020 12:16

Wow, a shocking number of people assume that £20 isn’t a big deal for many people. Do you not pay any attention to the world around you?

when that someone decides to have a baby and be responsible for him/her, it's frightening. You do know children eat, don't you? Even from birth.

It's fine if you are cold when pregnant, it's when the baby is here that you need the heating on.

AllergicToAMop · 01/02/2020 12:18

Wow, a shocking number of people assume that £20 isn’t a big deal for many people. Do you not pay any attention to the world around you?

Quite logical assumption OP has £20 since she is talking about decorating...

feelingverylazytoday · 01/02/2020 12:22

You can buy a fan heater for around a tenner. Unplug it and carry it from room to room.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 01/02/2020 12:40

Quite logical assumption OP has £20 since she is talking about decorating

Not to mention the huge expense of a child.

Mrsemcgregor · 01/02/2020 15:06

AllergicToAMop someone having money to decorate at some point in the future doesn’t mean they have £20 today in their pocket. Last week I didn’t have £20 to spare, this week I do. If I needed to fork out money for something I didn’t owe I couldn’t have. Having money this week doesn’t keep me warm last week does it?

IceCreamAndCandyfloss I forgot only people with money to spare could have children. No one is ever pregnant and struggling for extra cash.

Jeez.

AllergicToAMop · 01/02/2020 15:18

someone having money to decorate at some point in the future doesn’t mean they have £20 today in their pocket.

Op literally said she just wants to move in and decorate. Hence, the logical assumption of planning on doing it now.

If someone can't hassle up emergency £20 when planning on bringing a child i to this world, they should think long and hard about their future...

Mrsemcgregor · 01/02/2020 15:29

AllergicToAMop but the worlds not a perfect place where everyone who gets pregnant can afford the baby, shaming a pregnant woman who may not have enough money for heating (and let’s face it, she hasn’t been back so who knows if she’s even real and this isn’t an attempt at a begging thread) isn’t very nice.

I’m just pointing out that lots of people on this thread have made comments along the lines of “you MUST have a spare £20” and “do you mean £2000 not £20” it is rather sneery and presumptuous. Posters can’t be that surprised that it’s possible a pregnant woman might not be able to spare £20 for an unexpected expense.

Mintjulia · 01/02/2020 15:46

To be honest £20 is hardly a crisis. I imagine they are dealing with more urgent cases.

Take a picture of the debt displayed. Your phone will time & date the photo. Then go and charge the key and keep the receipt which also have time & date.

Then claim it back.

GreytExpectations · 01/02/2020 17:34

Op maybe you could take in some ironing or do matched betting? Grin

Just kidding, I'm sure you got exactly what you wanted from this thread....

Leighhalfpennysthigh · 01/02/2020 17:58

I don't have a prepay,want meter myself, but my partner does in his flat - I thought that once the credit went there's about £6 of emergency credit and once that's gone the supply is cut off? How can a debt of £20 be run up?

BanSprouts · 01/02/2020 18:13

Message them on twitter if you can. They tend to be a lot more helpful on there.

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