Can Electric Company Demand This Much Money When We Can't Afford It?

[mampam]

Basically we had a letter out of the blue from solicitors acting on behalf of Electric Co wanting over £500. Saying that if we didn't contact them immediately they would get a warrant to force entry to our property and put a prepay meter in.

I contacted them immediately to be told that we hadn't been paying the right amount. We usually pay £40 every fortnight but apparently we should have been paying £52 per fornight as £40 wasn't enough to cover our electric consumption and the outstanding money we owe. I asked why we had never been told this but the man on the phone couldn't answer me/side stepped the issue and eventually put me through to someone at the Electric Co.

I was then told that we have to now pay at least £211 per month which we simply haven't got.

Can they make us pay this amount when we haven't got it?
I know we owe them money but when we set up the £40 per fortnight (an amount suggested by them not us and was set up over a year ago) we were told that this would cover the consumption and would pay off the outstanding debt.

ring consumer direct and talk to them. they'll be able to advise

have you been giving regular meter readings? or have they taken any?

No they've only ever taken one meter reading in the nearly 2 years that we have lived here. Don't understand why as we see other electric co's vans in our street taking meter readings all the time.
We've got to ring back tomorrow with a meter reading but I'm scared as knowing our luck it'll end up being more not less.

I'm 31 weeks pregnant and I just don't need this stress. I know I won't sleep a wink tonight.

we had a similar thing with NPower, though no threatening letters. we were given a HUGE bill.

apparently they are under no obligation to do meter readings more often than every 2 years! so if you can give regular readings yourself that is good.

you ought to be able to work out a payment plan though. I am pretty sure they have to let you do that. We basically said that we couldn't pay it, and that we would agree to pay something like £50 a month extra until it was all cleared.

Yes I think the first course of action is to give them the updated meter reading and take it from there.

Slightly worrying though that at first it was about £260 a month they wanted which I said we couldn't afford and £211 was the lowest they would go which we still cannot afford. If I had the money I would give it to them.

Our electric is with EON.

It's so worrying I can feel myself shaking with fear. If we have to pay the amount they are asking for then that will be £130 a month extra to find.

If bill is correct then you would have to pay at least your current usage and something towards the arrears.

Fuel poverty is a political hot potato at the moment and if it's going to impact harshly on your income it may be worth contacting you MP.

If you or your partner are getting Income support or income related JSA or ESA then you can ask them to take deductions out of your benefits to cover the arrears. the DWP sets a minimum repayment (I think it's around £4 a week) which will be a lot less than Eon are asking for.

Keep talking to the elecy co and if you can't reach an agreement you can afford then send them an income and expenditure showing what you can afford to pay them.

yeah, i mean if you cannot afford to pay it then there isn't much you can do is there?

i would be inclined to call them and say you're seeking legal advice on the way they're behaving as you do not believe they can force you to pay £211 a month which you don't have

Then suggest a payment that you CAN afford, and tell them that if that is not acceptable that they can go ahead and take you to court for it.

all you need to do is show them that you are willing to pay it, at a level you can afford.

but do ring consumer direct, they ought to be able to give you advice on exactly what EON can and can't do

Hi I used to work for an electriticy company on debt collection on both live and closed accounts so know how the system works.

I am surprised that the meter readings haven't been taken more often, when I worked there about 7 years ago, the meters were read 3 times a year in a city/town and they would estimate the other reading based on those, or if you lived in a rural area they read it twice a year and estimated the other two.

The 2 yearly thing is because they have to do a visual inspection of the meter for any damage or problems.

If they can't read your meter then you should always supply them with a reading if your bill is estimated EVEN if the estimate if pretty spot on -you know it is THEY don't.

So, what you need to work out is what you are actually using so if it is £52 a fortnight then you need to work out what you can afford to pay on top of that.

Trust me when I say they will fit a prepayment meter if you don't come to an agreement BUT they can't set it incredibly high and they DON'T WANT to fit one either as it costs them more money than any other type of customer (direct debit/monthly payer/on receipt of bill payer)

If they argue the rate at which you wish to pay the debt back, then submit (with the help of CAB) an income and expenditure form so they can see you that you do not have the money to pay a high rate. Fortunately CAB and the likes know that the standard income and expenditure form is crap and so have to bump stuff up to cover the little things like buying newspapers and people's birthdays and that unexpected new tyre for your car.

And yes, fags and booze do go on the form, they can't reject it they can just say (trying to remember what our standard line was) something like "we will review this in 6 months and would like to see certain NON ESSENTIALS reduced"

Really hope this helps, stand firm with your offer, say that is all you can afford and they should accept it if it is decent.

Off to pick up my wee one from preschool but will check back later.