What will actually happen when someone can't pay the bills?

[Hagrod]

This is just an example.

Imagine a disabled woman who lives on her own in council accomodation. She needs to charge an electric wheelchair, keep the place very warm and take hot showers multiple a day due to her condition. Her bills will be huge. She's never been able to work, lives off meagure benefits, has no savings, has no assets, no equity, nothing that can be repo'ed by bailiffs. She soon finds herself £5, 000 in debt to the energy companies.

I understand they would take her to court, but I've no idea what would happen next...if they cut her electric and gas off, what about the ethical situation of her being disabled?

What will actually transpire in this situation? Would she be imprisoned, or in debt to them for the rest of her life but realistically they know it can never be paid off?

Are we at the point where foreign aid would step in and help her?

As far as I know she would go on a prepayment meter

I hope I'm wrong ..

Prepayment meter with ouple of quid a week extra to pay the bill.

Oh and what foreign aid and who from....

Pre payment meter with the debt being slowly recouped at a couple of pounds a week but it would take 50 or so years to pay it off....

You don't get cut off.

Yes, it would be a pre payment meter, which effectively means you self disconnect.

Prepayment meter, zero credit rating, no extra help from govt = early death either from terrible living conditions or suicide. This will happen a lot this winter. In fact if the current govt weren't so incredibly inept I would assume its all been done deliberately to get rid of all the undesirables and spongers like your disabled lady.

Btw, I think suicides are already increasing (think I heard an a&e Dr talking about it on LBC but could be wrong here).

They can't just cut you off. They have to go through affordable ways to pay off debt with you. Say if they agreed to £10 a month etc. If you can't stretch to that they'd have to come and install a pre payment meter.

A long time ago I didn't pay my energy bill for 3 years due to my own terrible money management. I didn't get cut off, and it wasn't possible to do a prepayment meter in my property. They just sent a few threatening letters. I did end up with a lot of debt that took years to clear.

I’m not even sure they would necessarily fit a prepayment meter for a disabled customer who might have trouble using it, and is dependent on electric aids, but he’s if they take action it will be a prepayment meter rather than disconnection.

It’s still a lot of stress having a huge unpaid balance forever growing.