Southern Electricity - Broken into home

Abee3

Please excuse me as this is my first ever post.
Are southern electric allowed to break into your home to fit a pre-payment meter without a court order?
Any advise appreciated?

Magentasue

A quick google suggests, yes they can - there may be a warrant but you have yet to be informed:

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/utilities-gas-electricity-water/110058-british-gas-prepayment-meter.html

Phone call to CAB or similar may get someone to confirm and/or advise.

Abee3

Ok thank you for that info.
If this is the case is it normal for them to charge £300 for the pre-payment meter?

Pink_fluff

Normally if you owe debt that is why a company would take out a warrant and fit a pre payment meter. Is the £300 maybe debt that you were due on a bill? Why has the meter been fitted? Have you received previous letters from your supplier about this?

Joyful

If there is a charge this will be for it to have gone to court and a warrant been granted. Before it got to this stage you should have had reminder letters and followup advising you of action to be taken.

Vestra

Hi I can maybe advise on this:

This will have been the last action you will have had many letters many phone calls (if they have a number for you) and one or two visits to your property, they will not fit the meter without a warrant so they will have one, and they £300 charge you been charged is for the warrant and the locksmith costs.

devon_guy

Always makes me laugh, someones in debt so they just add more to it by charging you £300 for the priviledge of breaking into your house.

Joyful

devon_guy wrote: »

Always makes me laugh, someones in debt so they just add more to it by charging you £300 for the priviledge of breaking into your house.

People do have control over this. They get lots of reminders and are given the option to change the meters free. Of course if they do not correspond with the supplier then extra action gets taken costing money.