unauthorised access to property & money

Hazzo

My son lives alone and has a problem with his electric company. He has a small unpaid debt which is not subject to any warrant or judgment; just an unpaid bill. Whilst he was at work, the electric company turned up at his property where he has an outside meter situated in his garden some 50 feet from his garden gate. They simply decided to turn up without giving notice of their intensions and changed his meter from a quarterly to a prepay and applied a debt charge to the new meter. I have spoken to the electric company and asked them by what right they entered upon his property but apparently they need neither authnority nor a warrant. I also challenged how they can apply a debt charge to the meter without providing previous written notice of their intentions. Again, apparently they do not have to give notice or obtain an authority. Surely electric companies do not have right of access to properties without an authority or a warrant and cannot help themselves to someone else's money without giving written notice or expanation? Furthermore, an electric engineer with the same company told me that health and safety regulations do not permit them to change a tariff without the customer being present (something to do with turning off the power). Any thoughts would be most welcome.

penrhyn

How long had the bill been outstanding, and had he been ignoring requests for payment?

robpw2

if they didnt break into his house and just went in the garden they do not need a warrant the meter is owned by them
and they havent taken any of his money they simply have put a - amount on the meter as he owes them money

Hazzo

The bill was only 3 months old and he rang them to advise a change of jobs and to expect a delay. He had no paperwork at all following the phone call or to date. Evenso, I am concerned at the apparent ease with which they can seemingly help themselves to entry and impose a silent charge ... even the tax man cannot do that!

Cardew

Arrears and avoiding disconnection

If you have electricity arrears, you risk having your electricity supply cut off. However, it is very unusual to be disconnected if you fail to pay your electricity bills.
If you have electricity arrears, you may also have other debts which need to be dealt with. You should seek the help of an experienced adviser, for example, a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.
Steps your supplier must follow before disconnecting you

An electricity supplier must follow standard licence conditions, one of which sets out how it deals with customers who have difficulty paying. An electricity supplier cannot issue a disconnection notice until at least 28 days after issuing a bill. You must be given at least seven days notice of disconnection. If you can't pay your bill, contact your supplier straight away. You should be offered an arrangement to pay off the arrears at a rate you can afford. If you can't afford to pay off the arrears in this way, they must offer to install a prepayment meter – see under heading Meters.


Some groups of customers may have extra protection from being disconnected. This may apply to you if you:

• are of pensionable age
• have long-term ill-health
• are disabled
• have severe financial problems.

You can find more information about what steps a supplier must take before disconnecting you on the Consumer Focus website at: www.consumerfocus.org.uk, or contact Consumer Direct – see under heading Useful organisations.
Disconnection - complaining to Consumer Direct

If you have been disconnected, or are threatened with disconnection, and have not been able to sort things out with your electricity supplier, you should contact Consumer Direct on: 0845 404 0506.
Disconnection includes where something has gone wrong with your prepayment meter so that you're unable to make a payment or have made a payment but your electricity supply still isn't working.
Where appropriate, Consumer Direct will refer your case to the consumer watchdog Consumer Focus, who will take up your complaint with the electricity supplier.
A complaint about disconnection is considered a priority case and should be sorted out on the next working day after it has been referred to Consumer Focus. If you are on a prepayment meter, your electricity supply should be restored within three hours.
If you're still not happy with the way your complaint has been resolved, you can make a complaint to the Energy Ombudsman – see under heading Complaints.

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robpw2

but they havent help themselves to anything igh the bill is 3 months without payment , they will now be preparing another bill If he normally pays quarterly which means he would have 6 months unpaid electricity

its not imposing a silent charge they want there money -your lucky they didnt cut him of completley at least this way he can pay weekly as and when he needs electricity

i understand you think hes being treated unfairly and would perhaps suggest you take all his paperwork and any and all letters you may have recieved to the citizens advice but its in the contract about changing to a prepay meter etc usually and it will state about charges

Pssst

igh10 wrote: »

The bill was only 3 months old and he rang them to advise a change of jobs and to expect a delay. He had no paperwork at all following the phone call or to date. Evenso, I am concerned at the apparent ease with which they can seemingly help themselves to entry and impose a silent charge ... even the tax man cannot do that!

Power cos rarely just turn up and cutoff/change meters. There is usually some preamble,letters,final demand etc. If they get ignored,they can go get a warrant to enter prems. It appears that as the meter is outside,they didnt need to do this.

Hazzo

Thanks for your replies everyone; this is great stuff. Just to reiterate following Pssst's post, there were no phone calls, no letters, no 'red reminders', no final demands, no warrants, no judgments. They just turned up whilst no-one was at home, changed the meter and entered the debt charge. And no subsequent letters to confirm what they had done or why.

Cardew

igh10 wrote: »

Thanks for your replies everyone; this is great stuff. Just to reiterate following Pssst's post, there were no phone calls, no letters, no 'red reminders', no final demands, no warrants, no judgments. They just turned up whilst no-one was at home, changed the meter and entered the debt charge. And no subsequent letters to confirm what they had done or why.

The bill was only 3 months old and he rang them to advise a change of jobs and to expect a delay.

It really would be highly unusual to not 'chase' a bill for 3 months.

If he really has not had anything since the bill, then it would appear to be an admin foul up by the company. Letters produced and not sent, or sent and not received.

These letters are produced and sent by the computer automatically.

You are absolutely confident that your son has not ignored some letters????

Locknut

Did they leave a letter that they had changed the meter? have they changed the wrong meter its not unknown.

Hazzo

absolutely certain; no letters at all either before or after the event.