ecotricity threaten warrant for disabled person just for a check?

gen1

i am a housebound person. i switched accounts in the past two years after a faulty meter with my previous company. i switched to ecotricity after the meter was fixed. my first bill was fine but after that i was taken ill for 9 months and was hardly there so when i got back last december i asked for a new bill and emailed a new reading. i mailed a further three with no response or reply i sent a further 3 in the window and nothing. i later found out this was raised as a supercomplaint by consumer focus as nobody got new bills as their 3rd party billing company just didnt send them and blamed customers! i then got a bill in march for £400 for a 2 up 2 down with no electric water or heating i thought it was OTT and then the trouble started. in may i got sent debt letters from 2 companies at once, got hand delivered warrants threatening to cut me off even though im on a priority register and they cant, sent debt councillors and bailiffs even though my carer specifically told them not to, with no written notification, sent up to 9 bullying emails a day making out i was shirking my responsibilities and had no intention of paying, and said they had rang over and over but my phone was broken which it isnt.
then when i explained i thought the bill was too high again they asked for another reading. my carer came and shifted a huge bookcase which covers the new inaccessible meter and asked them specifically if thats all they wanted. when he was told yes he went on holiday to recooperate from a operation. they sent a bill for £1500!!! they knew it was impossible for my little house to run it up and asked for a meter check visit and a payment plan. i explained my carer was away ( he needs to be there) and the first girl agreed to wait till he returned and took my incomings outgoing for the payment plan. on hearing i only had 25 pounds free a month to pay off the debt they asked extremely rude questions about my disability and said they needed to take at least 75 pounds for my ongoing usage and 25 for my debt. i explained i couldnt do it and that edf had agreed to take the account debt and all , give me a grant to pay off the debt then enroll me for their social tarriff at just 21 a month plus theyd check the old meter and install a new one where i can access it myself at an appointment time to suit me! ecotricity refused to let me switch even though they know its impossible for me to stay with them and pay the debt their consumer champion has now given me till friday ( a 28 day hold which is nearly up) to arrange for my carer to get home or she is applying for a warrant. she states that although she accepts this isnt an emergency and the meter shows no signs of being dangerous she will use it as an excuse to apply for a warrant this friday as she feels its the "quickest way to move things along". she refuses to release me and has held me there for 2 months incurring me a further £150 of debt plus a 50 charge for the meter check. trouble is my carer did get home on time but slipped and is now in hospital and i cannot arrange for my other family to be here by friday! i arranged for a solicitor through cla but couldnt get my legal aid papers sent back in time due to the postal strikes but she couldnt care less and is very abusive. not allowing a deadlock letter even after 10 weeks means i cant go to the energy ombudsman and she wont send one as she states she wants to deal with this herself even using her personal email and not allowing me to speak to anyone other than her. consumer direct and consumer focus are useless! no legal training and no acting for vulnerable customers like they used to bring back energywatch! can anyone help?!

Fire_Fox

We you on a standing charge tariff while you were away from home ill? Are you sure the immersion or some heating wasn't left on during this time? Are you able to deal with this situation by letter rather than via e-mail? Is there a reason why you need your carer present when the meter is read?

gen1

regular tarriff. as stated no elecric water or heating. mail depends on royalmail (HA!) and when the person who posts my letters comes. my carer is the only one big enough to move the case also the only time tey sent someone it was a woman at about 5'1" on her own. they say its my responsibility to get it moved in time they cant send people out for that and arent responsible for damage.

PNPSUKNET

what is run of the electric?psr though does not stop debt collection it just indicates vunrability.

kippen_noedel

Escalate it to a formal complaint
Vince Dale, Managing Director
Madeline Carroll, PR Officer
Patrick Kearon, Director of Public Affairs

Axiom House
Station Road
Stroud
Gloucestershire
GL5 3AP

also this sounds like something Watchdod would enjoy getting their teeth into
http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/gotastory/

Premier_2

Contact social services to ensure you continue to receive adequate care whilst your usual carer is incapacitated

macman

I'm not clear how much has been paid since the OP became ill in/around April 08? Were payments made on DD during this period?
I'm also unclear at what dates the meter was read, as the increase in the last bill surely indicates that either the previous bill was an estimate, or a problem with the meter?
Key to this seems to be making the meter accessible and getting them to read it, it's not the OP's fault that she can't move a bookcase or read it, but equally it is not Ecotricity's fault if they haven't been able to access it. Could a neighbour take a meter reading now it is accessible?