Southern Electric estimates - cannot afford to pay bill

flower_chops

Hi there,

I was a debt-free wannabe a few years back and thanks to this site sorted out everything:beer:

Anyway, we've just moved and phoned Southern Electric with our meter reading and yesterday got a bill through for our last quarter (no worries there) but with £150 added on top. DF phoned up to ask what on earth this was for and it was because they'd estimated the readings in the 2.5 years we were at the property and this was the excess that they were out by. We simply cannot afford the £289 (total) they are asking for and the best they've said they can do is let us pay over 4 months. My DF's job has announced that they *may* be temporarily cutting their 5 day week down to a 3 day one which has put the frighteners on even more so don't feel we can commit to the 4 month thing as we have to eat! I remember with my in debt days I wrote to credit cards etc with my income/expenditure and said how much I COULD pay and wondered if this is something that could be done with the electric bill? I feel it wasn't our fault that they haven't bothered to read the meter, we've always paid our bills promptly and aren't saying we won't pay, just that at this moment in time we can't. We already live on a tight budget for our family of 3 and can see no other way of cutting back to just to pay for what essentially we could've safely afforded 6 months ago when DF's job wasn't in jeopardy.

Any advice?

espresso

flower_chops wrote: »

I feel it wasn't our fault that they haven't bothered to read the meter, we've always paid our bills promptly and aren't saying we won't pay, just that at this moment in time we can't.

Unfortunately the previous bills that you have received and paid would have shown that they were based on estimated readings, so by not providing customer readings, you have allowed this debt to build up.

All that you can do is negotiate a longer period to pay off your debt, if you can't reach an agreement they could insist that a pre-payment meter is fitted, which would recover the debt as you feed it.

Vestra

espresso wrote: »

Unfortunately the previous bills that you have received and paid would have shown that they were based on estimated readings, so by not providing customer readings, you have allowed this debt to build up.

All that you can do is negotiate a longer period to pay off your debt, if you can't reach an agreement they could insist that a pre-payment meter is fitted, which would recover the debt as you feed it.

It's a closed account, this is why the supplier will usually only offer 3 months at a maximum to pay off the final bill.

espresso

Rian1988 wrote: »

It's a closed account, this is why the supplier will usually only offer 3 months at a maximum to pay off the final bill.

My mistake, missed that.

flower_chops

God, I totally never knew that. We've been paying bills between us for years and have only had to give meter readings once we've left a property. I'm so upset that I felt we had got somewhere and now we're in debt again. It feels so horrid. Just spoke to my mum who's said she may be able to lend us the money if DF's job goes which would be wonderful but it just feels that at 33 and 30 years old with an eleven month old baby I shouldn't need to go to my mum! Sorry for rant. Just incredibly scared about DF's job.

Rikki

Your previous bills were obviously low estimates and now the final bill is an accurate reading.You should have amended the bills to accurate readings each time you received them. Too late now I know but hopefully a lesson learned for your new house.

KimYeovil

At 33 and 30 years old the obscure, arcane concept of estimated bills should have reared its head many years ago.

flower_chops

KimYeovil - thanks for that. Really made me feel better, I don't think. I came on here for constructive advice, had already said I'd not had to give readings before (so therefore had not had this happen before - think I'd remember) and was hoping for the kind of answer I then received form the others. Not quite sure what you have achieved by suggesting that at our age we should know as I'm fairly sure I'm not the only one here who doesn't know how every single thing in the world works. That's why I asked for advice. Kick a girl while she's down, why don't you.

Rikki

Another thought. I take weekly readings.
It helps me keep tabs on my usage and also I have an accurate reading when any price changes occur. Stops them over charging me for more units at the higher rate than I've used.