Leccy debt and BR

sweeper12

Hiya

My dad went BR in May and he has just received an electric bill for £1185 due to the bills being estimated for the past 2 years. He's had a payment plan that asks for £185 per month spread over a year but can't pay that amount as him and my mum only get pension credit etc.

My question is, should that bill go into his BR ? Will the supplier continue to keep him as a customer if it does go into his BR ?

Thanks

S x

Waspeze

As far as I know ALL debts acquired prior to his BR date (except a few.. Student loans, fines, CSA payments) are included, therefore if this bill is for an old debt then it should be included... maybe speak to his OR to check.

As for the supplier... they may insist on a prepay meter to be installed (I think there is some legislation that they have to supply but they can choose "how")

shadowdragon

Waspeze wrote: »

As for the supplier... they may insist on a prepay meter to be installed (I think there is some legislation that they have to supply but they can choose "how")

If they do install a meter just check that they are not recovering the debt though it though, as being BC the debt cannot be retrived. You press a button on the prepay meter and it tells u how much debt you have that needs recovering (00.00 for me, just looked now)

Sunk

Yes include the debt.
I owed £1,200.00 to British Gas and it was wiped clear upto BR date.
I was kept on as a customer with both gas/electric.
Your old accounts are closed & any outstanding amount is wiped.
New accounts then set up & you can still pay by DD.
I must say BG is very BR friendly.

sweeper12

Thanks for your replies, very much appreciated.

My parents are with Atlantic and the bill is in my dads name so they can't chase my mum for the debt.

I rang them on dad's behalf and was told to contact the pension credit people and they would deduct so much from my parents benefits until it was cleared - also said that the pension credit people would cap what Atlantic could charge my dad.

One of the things that my parents were worried about was a meter and being charged huge amounts to recover the debt but if, as I suspect, you are correct about the bill going into the BR, they wouldn't be allowed to do this anyway.

I wondered whether they could change supplier after putting the bill into dad's BR ? Maybe my mum could put it in her name ?

S x

sweeper12

Hi Aly

I think it's the knowing what the right thing to do that is worrying them. I have told them not to enter into any financial agreement with them as it's deemed as an offense by the OR.

I will ring the OR on Monday, he was off work today, he's a newbie though and doesn't always seem to be able to tell us what to do :rolleyes:

S x

sweeper12

Thanks for the link Aly, I'll take a look.

I don't think they'd mind a meter as such, means they pay as they use with no big shock every quarter.

I'll ring the OR again on Monday and give him the details, let him deal with it

S x