Help im in debt with my electric bill (e-on) and they've sent bailiffs and charge 30

3876samf

Help im in debt with my electric bill (e-on) and they've sent bailiffs and charge every visit!

Hi I lost my job (ive always worked) and had to go on job seekers and housing benefit to keep my flat

Its my first flat and I kinda let the bills mount up for a year stupidly and now ive got to pay 1400 for my electricity bill and 600 for my water bill 500 pounds on my credit card 500 on my overdraft and 30 pounds on my phone contract

They have sent a letter saying there was a visit from eon collection agency and that it cost me 30 pounds (I wasn't in) its a letter of intent to apply for a warrant of entry which costs 230 pounds and more if they have to change the locks on my flat and they will keep visiting and charging 30 pounds per visit

Ive contacted them before and I cant afford to pay the current usage on my electricity bill let alone the arrears as well if I was to pay back weekly

I cant get a job I still try everyday and I simply cant afford to pay what they want!

I live in the UK btw

Whats my best course of action? Please help!

3876samf

They said they would cut off my electricity as well

They thing is they dont need entry to my flat as the meter isnt even in here!?

WASHER

contact one of the debt charities today, either CCCS or national Debt Line, they are both free to use and they will offer you advice. DO IT TODAY.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, OPEN THE DOOR TO THE BAILIFF, do not get into a conversation with him/her either until you have taken advice. Finally if you have a car, remove it from your drive or from the front of your home, actually move it a few streets away, otherwise they can/will remove it.

http://www.cccs.co.uk/

Also make sure the door is locked/and the windows are locked, they can and do see an unlocked door/window as a peaceful entry.

Also if the CCCS are busy, call the CAB for advice too.

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hi 3876samf,

Sorry to hear of the difficulties you’re facing, hopefully I can give you some useful advice.

The £30 charge is for what is known as a pre disconnection visit; this is the tail end of the debt collection process your energy company use.

The visit is so E.ON can establish the finer details of the situation, they will check for signs of customer vulnerability at the property and ensure the meter is accessible and free from potential hazard to the engineer who will subsequently either disconnect the meter or exchange the meter to prepayment.

The next stage of the debt collection process would be for E.ON to apply for a warrant of entry to the property from the magistrates’ court, when this is authorised an engineer will visit the property and fit a prepayment meter.

So you know bailiffs will not be sent in regard to the energy debts, in regards to the other debts I can’t comment, I’m sure other posters maybe able to explain how bailiffs operate.

The £230 mentioned in the last letter, is the cost of the warrant application, and is charged to you as the earlier £30 is.

Can I ask if you’ve paid any energy bills?

For the debt collection process to have got this far there must have been a long period of unpaid bills and/or failed payment arrangements.

The difficulty you face is managing your finances so you can afford your energy consumption, there are loads of helpful people on these debt boards that will help you budget your finances so you can pay your priority debts.

In direct regard to your energy usage, there are things you can do to reduce the amount you are using and loads of advice available from E.ON and other forum users.

First thing to address re your energy is address the current debt situation, the last thing you want is to incur any further cost unnecessarily.

Essentially you have two options, one is to pay your bills when you get them and agree a regular amount to pay back the arrears, which from the information you have provided is going to be difficult without making some serious changes to your usage. Again if you fail the arrangements the debt process will start again and you’ll be back in the same position.

The second option is to agree to have a prepayment meter installed at your own request, the arrears will be set at a very low amount and collected weekly, with prepayment this could be as little a £3 a week, even £1 per week in the right circumstances, you then just pay for your energy as you go.

Remember the result of the warrant is to install a prepayment meter to collect the debt; this can be done now at no cost to you if you agree to it if you don’t they’ll fit it anyway and you will be charged for this.

Hope this helps explain things a little, please come to me if you have any questions, and please contact E.ON to sort this before they obtain the warrant, I don’t want you to incur further costs especially when these can be avoided.

Again shout up if you need me.

Brian

WASHER

Very helpful post Brian.

If the OP reads this and request a pre-payment meter, you will not be charged the £230, don't request it and you will.

Come back and post, I'm sure Brian from EON will help you if you need it.