Gas & Electric Arrears

blondescorpio

I have Gas & Electric arrears with Swalec - my own fault entirely!

Its around £650 gas and £590 electric and they now want to install metres taking £20 a week from each plus I will have to put on around £20 a week on each and I can't afford £80 a week on gas and electric - it will be £320.00 a month!

I have a baby so the house does need to be warm but have tried turning heating on for an hour then jumpers, have an OWL to monitor electric and making 'token' payments to Swalec but they are due to arrive on Friday with the metres or I face disconnection.

Can I switch companies with arrears? Surely if another company accept me then Swalec can't enforce disconnection or a metre? Would I have to tell the new company my position and would Swalec then have to meet an agreed affordable plan with me?

To stop enforcement they want half of each bill £620 - which I just haven't got at the moment (or most likely ever)

Thanks

chevalier

Is there anyone who you could borrow the money on, the babies grand parents for example? Or could you get an emergency loan from the DSS?

Once this crisis has been dealt with, how about putting up a statement of affairs on here, so that we can spot any savings so that you can throw at your debts

good luck

chev

blondescorpio

My partners parents haven't got any money - both sets are on benefits.
My parents are great but I already owe them £1,000.

chevalier

Right swallow your pride and ask them for the money. Then have a look on www.freecycle for curtains and hang them as an extra set over the windows. Make sausage dogs out of old tights and news papers to stop draughts at any exterier doors. And if there are draughts coming from all for sides of the doors then hang something over the door too.

don't just turn down your heating. Make sure that everything is turnd off at the wall when not in use, as appliances use electricity even when on standby.

If your water comes out boiling hot, then turn down the temperature of the water as well. There is no point in adding cold water when say running a bath as you are just wasting the energy use to heat the water.

Like i said once you have got this one crisis over with, THEN you need to look at why you have got into such a mess in the first place.

Are you sure you are getting all of the benefits that you are entitled to?

good luck
chev

blondescorpio

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet
Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 1
Number of cars owned.................... 1 - its dead! Immobliser problem will cost in excess of £300 - car not worth that!
Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 897
Partners monthly income after tax....... 800 At
Benefits................................ 350
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 2047
Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 400
Secured loan repayments................. 0
Hire Purchase (HP) repayments........... 0
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 125
Electricity............................. 160
Gas..................................... 160
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 20
Telephone (land line)................... 45
Mobile phone............................ 40
TV Licence.............................. 11
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 25
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 240
Clothing................................ 0
Petrol/diesel........................... 10
Road tax................................ 17
Car Insurance........................... 55
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 5
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 78
Childcare/nursery....................... 138.66
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 25
Contents insurance...................... 0
Life assurance ......................... 30
Other insurance......................... 6.4
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 0
Haircuts................................ 0
Entertainment........................... 8
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
(Unnamed monthly expense)............... 0
Total monthly expenses.................. 1599.06

Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 120000
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 500
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 120500

Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mortgage...................... 89000....(400)......2.39
Total secured & HP debts...... 89000.....-.........-
Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mint...........................1500......35........NaN
Vanquis Me.....................1000......65........NaN
Vanquis OH.....................250.......15........NaN
Barclay Card...................850.......25........NaN
Aqua OH........................250.......10........NaN
Lloyds Loan....................1700......55........0
Citi Loan......................2900......110.......NaN
Tesco..........................4500......110.......0
Capital One OH.................200.......10........NaN
Capital One....................200.......10........NaN
Total unsecured debts..........13350.....445.......-

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 2,047
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 1,599.06
Available for debt repayments........... 447.94
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 445
Amount left after debt repayments....... 2.94
Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 120,500
Total HP & Secured debt................. -89,000
Total Unsecured debt.................... -13,350
Net Assets.............................. 18,150
Created using the SOA calculator at www.makesenseofcards.com.
Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission.

blondescorpio

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet
Household Information

Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 1
Number of cars owned.................... 1
Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 897
Partners monthly income after tax....... 800 MAX
Benefits................................ 350
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 2047
Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 400 Should be less but 2 months arrears being paid over 2 months
Secured loan repayments................. 0
Hire Purchase (HP) repayments........... 0
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 125 Did have benefit - £45 a month but apparently out of the blue I no longer qualified and owed THEM 2 months - this is the 'norm' £98 plus arrears over Feb & March too lower it - they wanted more!
Electricity............................. 160 This is if meter goes in
Gas..................................... 160 As above
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 20
Telephone (land line)................... 45 This inc internet - Virgin so can't switch anywhere
Mobile phone............................ 40 This is for 2 contracts
TV Licence.............................. 11
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 25 Need Sky as no ariel or signal for others
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 240 This is the shaved down version!
Clothing................................ 0
Petrol/diesel........................... 10
Road tax................................ 17
Car Insurance........................... 55
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 5
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 78 My bus far to work
Childcare/nursery....................... 138.66 Daugher goes one day a week
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 25
Contents insurance...................... 0 This is free with above
Life assurance ......................... 30
Other insurance......................... 6.4 ASU
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 0
Haircuts................................ 0
Entertainment........................... 8
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
(Unnamed monthly expense)............... 0
Total monthly expenses.................. 1599.06

Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 120000 Inc down value of at least 20% over 12 months
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 500
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 120500

Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mortgage...................... 89000....(400)......2.39
Total secured & HP debts...... 89000.....-.........-

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mint...........................1500......35........NaN
Vanquis Me.....................1000......65........NaN
Vanquis OH.....................250.......15........NaN
Barclay Card...................850.......25........NaN
Aqua OH........................250.......10........NaN
Lloyds Loan....................1700......55........0
Citi Loan......................2900......110.......NaN
Tesco..........................4500......110.......0
Capital One OH.................200.......10........NaN
Capital One....................200.......10........NaN
Total unsecured debts..........13350.....445.......-

Can't move these as credit SOOOOO bad

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 2,047
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 1,599.06
Available for debt repayments........... 447.94
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 445
Amount left after debt repayments....... 2.94 This will be a - if my partner has a day off

Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 120,500
Total HP & Secured debt................. -89,000
Total Unsecured debt.................... -13,350
Net Assets.............................. 18,150
Created using the SOA calculator at www.makesenseofcards.com.
Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission.

blondescorpio

Just printed and sent the forms off for crisis loan

MummyEm

Not sure whether you use them already but you can save money on childcare by paying using childcare vouchers. Ask your employer or your partners whether they are part of the scheme. Won't make a massive difference as your daughter is only in one day a week but any extra to pay off those debts !!

MummyEm

Sky costs - Freesat might be an option. A bit like freeview, works as a one off payment for a box starting at around £49.00 new but might be able to pick one up cheaper second hand. You don't need an aerial as it will work through your sky dish. Just a case of plugging in the box in place of the sky box. I know it's a bit of an outlay but it is only two months worth of your sky payment then one less monthly payment to make !!

boredofbeingathome

Just a thought, but are they calculating your bill correctly? This was on watchdog last week about the imperial metric conversion. It is worth a check as they seem very high.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/01/are_you_paying_too_much_for_ga.html

blondescorpio

Thank you all