E-on help, please.

sharlotte

I have received a letter from E-on today asking me to pay my outstanding balance of £404 or they will be instructing their debt collection agency to collect the debt.
I did have a DD set up but canceled it in December as I was paying £55 and they wanted to change it to £102. There was no way I could pay that and they would not lower it so I canceled the DD and paid £60 each month online.
I know the bill would increase with usage so I cut down as much as I could. Also I explained to them that I go to stay with my parents on weekends and school holidays so I don't use gas and electric then and so maybe my bill would even out with me still paying each month and not using any extra.
What can I do now to avoid the debt collection agency I do not have any money to pay all the bill and I can't afford to pay more each month. I have recently contacted the CCCS as I am having difficulty meeting repayments on my debts and am in the middle of sorting things out with them. I am in receipt of DLA, IB and IS.
Thanks.

jimexbox

Ask for a prepayment meter to be fitted. Then any debt will be payed off over a much longer period of time by using a small amount of credit you have purchased to pay off a proportion of your debt.

Try not to worry about it, they wont cut you off.

sharlotte

Thanks for your reply jimexbox, I do worry.
I was hoping not to have to have a prepayment meter. Apart from the fact that you are charged more my OH is disabled and cannot acces our meters so if they ran out when he was on his own then he would not be able to top it up.

jimexbox

The government are forcing the energy suppliers to offer prepayment meters with a tariff which does not penalise the user. Unfortunately you will lose and DD and online discount you may have.

When you card runs out I believe the lights do not 'go out'. You have a certain amount of emergency credit, which will obviously be deducted from any future credit you purchase.

Magentasue

If you cannot pay the balance and have already rejected the revised DD, I would think prepay meters are your only option. More worryingly, the £102 DD was obviously necessary to cover your use and this is what you need to pay/save to cover your bills next winter. By this I mean, even if you have a prepayment meter and pay less than £102 a month over the summer, you'll need to be able to pay this over the winter to heat your home. I'm wondering if Eon have a scheme similar to BG where vulnerable customers get one-off help towards a bill?

KimYeovil

If you want to use more energy than you can afford then you have to cut back on other rubbish. It's your choice. Prioritise according to your desires. With all those benefits you are clearly not poor so it's just a question of picking what you want.

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hi Sharlotte,

First things first the debt collection agency and/or E.ON will continue there follow up process unless an arrangement is put in place on their computer system.

What many don’t realise is when an arrangement is set up and then failed to be met the follow up process get quicker and the options available to you become less, this means it is not worth setting up or agreeing any arrangements that you know can’t be maintained.

From the info in your post I recommend speaking with the Caring Energy Team at E.ON they will be able to offer you help and advice regarding any entitlements available. They will also be able to discuss arrangements with you and see if an agreement can be made.

Remember only agree to what you can afford. And don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. We will do what we can to assist you with this.

Brian

sharlotte

Thank you Brian, do you have the number for the Caring Energy Team please.
Do you have any idea what type of arrangement can be made given my circumstances. I am asking because when I phoned them in December they were not very helpful and would only accept a large down payment or the higher DD, neither of which I could do at the time or now.

sharlotte

KimYeovil wrote: »

If you want to use more energy than you can afford then you have to cut back on other rubbish. It's your choice. Prioritize according to your desires. With all those benefits you are clearly not poor so it's just a question of picking what you want.

Thanks for your helpful reply!
I have cut back on everything and do not spend on rubbish. After paying priority debts I am left with £9 a week for debt repayment. We do not drink, smoke or go out socializing. Some weeks I do not have enough money left to buy food which is why I have contacted the CCCS.
By the sounds of it you are lucky enough not to have to manage on benefits. I am not on benefits through choice both myself and my OH have worked since leaving education but my OH became disabled through no choice of his own and I now have to look after him.

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hi Sharlotte,

Caring Energy is 0800 051 1480.

It will depend on your exact circumstances but caring energy may be able to set debt repayments at a much lower rate than you would normally be offered.

If the prepayment option is the only way to go, the debt setting for this will also be set at the minimum amount, for vulnerable customers this is a £1 a week.

Brian