Electric company adding charges....

willing2learn_3

Hi all

My electric company told me today that because i've been in arrears since christmas they have added a £28 charge to my account. This is despite me responding to letters and paying monthly. The amount of arrears is going down as well.

When i questioned it further the lady was very cagey and wouldn't answer the question of who the agent was that they'd passed the debt to. It would seem it's internal. I asked for the number of the agency and she wouldn't give the info. I asked to speak to a manager to sort out a payment plan and she said no manager is available they would have to call me back and it might even be tomorrow (i was on the phone to this woman for an hour).

I'm happy to reach an agreement with anyone, but i didn't like the way she was addressing the issues or the fact that she was so vague about everything.

I've been advised to call trading standards which i will do to see if there is anything that can be done about that charge. I had no letter of warning that there would be a charge.

I'm wondering if i can change my electric company but i wouldn't know how to begin, it's probably more hassle than just paying the extra money....?

bad day......thanks for listening. Thoughts, constructive comments appreciated :-)

KimYeovil

Eight months a free loan of money from your supplier. Eight months of opportunity to pay your bill. And you are outraged at a £28 charge? If others are receiving discounts of £100 to £150 for paying on time over a year then only being penalised £28 after eight months sounds like a relative bargain. By rights you should be paying an extra £100, not £28.

willing2learn_3

I don't mind paying the fee. My issue was that she was very vague about which 'agency' the fee came from and that there was no warning. Maybe i should re-read the T&C's. I've been cooperative with them, paying an agreed fee every month and the last person i spoke to was really helpful. I had no intention of running up such a high bill during the winter. The previous person i spoke to explained how it had occurred and now i know how to use the heating system so that it won't happen again.

I actually don't think i knew about the high bill until march anyway, when i received it. Had i known at Christmas i would have worked to repay from then.

I am not outraged by the charge. I just thought i would get a warning. I need to know when charges are likely otherwise i am paying the debt off and it's not clearing. I think it was the manner of the person on the phone that was the biggest problem

DVardysShadow

KimYeovil wrote: »

Eight months a free loan of money from your supplier. Eight months of opportunity to pay your bill. And you are outraged at a £28 charge? If others are receiving discounts of £100 to £150 for paying on time over a year then only being penalised £28 after eight months sounds like a relative bargain. By rights you should be paying an extra £100, not £28.

Only if it is in the contract, only if the OP has been told up front.

Slapping unexplained charges on anything has become a nasty trait of many British businesses recently. It should be stopped and we can do without the peanut gallery encouraging spurious charges.

SwanJon

Which company are you with?
Do you have a payment plan, or are you making ad-hoc payments? (If no plan, they will continue to treat the bill as unpaid until the whole thing is cleared.)
I know BG charge £14 after a few reminders & phone calls and the ability to charge is in the T&Cs, but not the amount.

willing2learn_3

SwanJon wrote: »

Which company are you with?
Do you have a payment plan, or are you making ad-hoc payments? (If no plan, they will continue to treat the bill as unpaid until the whole thing is cleared.)
I know BG charge £14 after a few reminders & phone calls and the ability to charge is in the T&Cs, but not the amount.

Thanks. I need to find the T & C's. This company was already linked to the property when i started renting it.

I was sticking to a payment plan that they'd sent to me by letter! but the woman i spoke to said that whoever had written the letter was wrong because the amount i was paying back wouldn't be enough over time. That's fair enough, but the charge was just a surprise when i was phoning them to let them know i'd sent payment and asking why i'd got another letter when i was sticking to the plan.

Anyway, I didn't realise they would do this without warning. I've learned that they will, i will find the T&C's just to check that they are able to do this. If they are then i will let it drop. However i don't agree with companies slapping charges on when people are struggling financially, at least not without some sort of negotiation and agreement first.

willing2learn_3

Okay, update. I have stuck to the new payment plan that the 'cagey' woman agreed to and i have it in writing. I paid by credit card in time for funds to clear and for them to be received today.....today is the deadline for payment each month.

Now while i was out i've had someone from the company visit, they've put a letter in my door saying that i have not paid the bill and they have added another charge of £25 to my account.

What i don't get is that even if the funds didn't clear (which they should have, the money is there in my account and i paid with 5 working days still to go), surely i wouldn't get a visit until the next day at least....?

On the same day? Maybe i am being naive, but it doesn't really give the funds a chance to appear or for them to register that payment has been received.

As for the T&C's, can't find them listed on the company website.....and i was never given a copy when i started renting the flat. I was just told that i was registered with that company.

Anyway i've left a message on the number that i was given to say i have paid and could they call back to discuss or i will try them again tomorrow.

In the letter it also says if they don't hear from me they will get a warrant to gain access to my property and i will incur further charges of £250. I'm worried now because they seem to put charges on without any warning. I know this is a warning, but i've stuck to the agreement and kept in touch......and i get a visit on the day they should receive payment....and as far as i know they've been paid. It's like they actually want to slap on loads of charges now.......I hope that's not true.

It also states that they aim to fit a prepayment meter on their next visit, again it's like that's what they want even though they agreed a payment plan with me.

Sorry to ramble on but i'm a bit stressed and cannot call them as it's late. :-(