Under Estimated Bill - PAY UP NOW!

BurningMad

A friend of mine is with Powergen.

They have just been hit (on Tuesday this week) with a large 'outstanding' bill that must be paid by next week otherwise they will be cut off. It is in the region of £1000.00.

For 3 years they have been paying an 'estimated' amount of money.

Powergen stated they have been unable to access the property for 3 years (!) and thus have continued with this estimation method.

Access to the property is not an issue as there is somebody always there.

Can they threaten this with so little number of days to pay up (and such a large amount)?

exil

Didn't they think their estimated bill was a little on the small side? And did they wonder why no-one ever read their meter?

Powergen have effectively lent them money interest-free. As long as the new reading is kosher they should accept they have to pay, but should ask to be given reasonable terms.

oldwiring

Aren't people taught to read meters and work out how much they owe and put money aside these days???? Fackless, lazy, ignorant???

matto

They should talk to PowerGen about paying by direct debit if they don't already do so and paying off this debt by way of an overpayment on their DD. They'd be looking at £150-£200 per month depending on their usage.

If they don't talk to PowerGen and come to some arrangement they are likely to be put on a prepayment meter.

penrhyn

oldwiring wrote:

Aren't people taught to read meters and work out how much they owe and put money aside these days???? Fackless, lazy, ignorant???

How dare you suggest that people take responsibility for their own actions or lack of them. You will be expecting people to live within their means next! :rotfl:

BurningMad

Just as I would expect from this forum...

No help.

They are a charity and are inundated with other things to do (one person doing everything).

Maybe not an excuse but the number of days given to pay up is a disgrace.

I simply asked advice if this can be done with such short notice. THAT was ALL.


Oh and to add.
Why the **** are Powergen so useless at keeping things organised?

It must be so, so, so nice to be so, so, so right all of the time, eh members?

madfrenchgirl

duh, people actually gave some help, they need to talk to powergen first... very logical thing to do really.

Now people have made some comments, ok but no need to act all sulky because you did not get the answer you wanted to hear.

BurningMad

It was more the insulting response from a couple of the members, duh!

It is the high-and-mighty response that gets my back up, mrs.

A mistake has been made on both sides, I just wanted advice because of the mess they now find themselves in. Not the "I told you so", "you must be a "**** head" response I did get.

Thanks to anybody who replied half decently, though.

madfrenchgirl

calm down dear! it is only a forum!

BurningMad

Very clever, love.

oldwiring

They are a charity and are inundated with other things to do (one person doing everything.

.

Indeed, I am sorry if you are offended, but a charity has to have some resemblence to as business and so should have even more acumen and organisation than Joe Bloggs, who gets himself in to a finncial mess, not less. I am not totally sure but if a position of insovency be reached because of the debts of an unincorporated charity then the responsibilty will lie with the trsutees personally, as the chrity is not a legal person.

ISTM that they have received the normal 'seven day' letter. I'd say that most bodies will negotiate as insolvency action is expensive and the outcome is often worse than a settlement.

I sincerely hope your friends get out of the awful position they are in, but they must talk to PG. Id they are tempted tp silence then that's bad!