NPower - 30 days grace rule?

SimIsOnTheUp

Hiya,

From what I've read online, apparently your creditors, now have to give you 30 days grace, whereby they suspend further action / freeze charges, while you seek help from CCCS / CAB etc.

My query is regarding NPower Electric.

My Electric arrears owing, are £645.00.

I'm probably a week / 10 days away from them applying for a 'warrant of entry'.

Due to my debt situation, I am going to go for a DRO.

I'd really like to try and avoid getting cut off, and a prepayment meter is not possible, due to where the meter is (neighbour's entrance hall).

Do any of you know, if NPower would come under this '30 days breathing space rule'?

I'm hoping that they are!

Any advice would be most appreciated.

Thanks,

Sim.

fermi

Only applies when the debt is with a DCA who is a member of the CSA.

stevieb1

I dont know if this is relevant .. but EON have told me that i cant have prepayment meters installed due to location.
ie eleccy meter is over 6ft off the floor and gas meter is @ floor level . something to do with health and safety and access to them.

SimIsOnTheUp

fermi wrote: »

Only applies when the debt is with a DCA who is a member of the CSA.

Ah, that's disappointing!

Thank You anyway, for the info.

Sim.

SimIsOnTheUp

stevieb1 wrote: »

I dont know if this is relevant .. but EON have told me that i cant have prepayment meters installed due to location.
ie eleccy meter is over 6ft off the floor and gas meter is @ floor level . something to do with health and safety and access to them.

Helpful to know, thanks.

I don't have gas. Just Electric.

My Electric meter, is not over 6ft off the floor, however it is nine times out of ten, impossible to get access to.

The Electric meter, is annoyingly situated in my neighbours entrance hall, and her communal door, giving access to her flat / her neighbours flat / a cupboard, where the Electric meters are, is normally locked.

So, a prepayment meter would be less than ideal, and more to the point, I'm hoping that because of this fact, NPower would agree not to install a prepay meter!

I'm going for a DRO, but this is probably going to take a good month or two.

Due to this, I really need to try and keep NPower happy in the meantime, so they don't cut me off.

However, I have to be careful, as surely if I'm paying anything towards the arrears, wouldn't the OR see this as 'preferential treatment' of a creditor? (As obviously the £645 NPower arrears, will be included in my DRO).

Cheers,

Sim.

UnderPressure

I dont think it will make any difference to them re the access to the meter, if they are about to apply for a warrant of entry then it is for the purpose of fitting an prepayment meter mmmmmmmm tricky one, you may have to speak to your neighbour about gaining access so you top up you meter, it is your meter so you have a right to access anyhow.

TBH if it has got to this stage short of paying your arrears in full you are unlikely to stop them now, it would be better for you to call them and discuss your concerns regarding the prepayment meter and simply see what they say, as you have said if you are going for a DRO then from my understanding you cannot treat any of your creditiors preferentially......

climbintheladderouttadebt

Out of curiosity, and although I don;t know your circumstances, have you tried to apply for a grant to help you out of the arrears? I got one from the EDF trust 2 years ago (approx) after my ex partner fiddled readings, hid bills etc getting me into an enormous amount of debt I could not get out of alone. I believe that if you're applying for the grant, the company cannot take action against you, though I cannot guarantee this.

Good luck with it all!

churchrat

I may have misread this, but how can a company get a warrent of entry to a flat where the owner is not the one that owes them money? if they are going to install a meter then surely it can only be where they have aright of entry? ie it will have to be in the op's flat?

SimIsOnTheUp

UnderPressure wrote: »

I dont think it will make any difference to them re the access to the meter, if they are about to apply for a warrant of entry then it is for the purpose of fitting an prepayment meter mmmmmmmm tricky one, you may have to speak to your neighbour about gaining access so you top up you meter, it is your meter so you have a right to access anyhow.

TBH if it has got to this stage short of paying your arrears in full you are unlikely to stop them now, it would be better for you to call them and discuss your concerns regarding the prepayment meter and simply see what they say, as you have said if you are going for a DRO then from my understanding you cannot treat any of your creditiors preferentially......

Hiya UP,

Thanks for that.

I'm about to call NPower now, and ask about 1/ The access issue, 2/ How to go about paying the arrears, and 3/ If they'll grant me 30 days breathing space (informing them, that I'm seeking advice from CCCS, and applying for a grant from Severn Trent Trust Fund).

You make a good point, regarding the fact, that I would not be allowed to show any preference to NPower, and as I would be paying arrears, as well as the current Electric usage, this could make things difficult, re the DRO!

I really don't want them to fit the Prepayment Electric Meter, before I've gone for the DRO, as then NPower will no doubt set the meter, to collect the arrears on top of my current usage.. that I can not afford, and that's exactly why I'm going for the DRO in the first place!

I did also consider, telling NPower, that I may have to go Bankrupt / DRO sooner rather than later, but I think I'd be shooting myself in the foot, as they'd probably want to speed up the process, of getting a prepay meter in, and I do really need a bit of time.

Cheers,

Sim.

SimIsOnTheUp

climbintheladderouttadebt wrote: »

Out of curiosity, and although I don;t know your circumstances, have you tried to apply for a grant to help you out of the arrears? I got one from the EDF trust 2 years ago (approx) after my ex partner fiddled readings, hid bills etc getting me into an enormous amount of debt I could not get out of alone. I believe that if you're applying for the grant, the company cannot take action against you, though I cannot guarantee this.

Good luck with it all!

Thanks climb.

Great to hear you got some help, from EDF Trust.

About to print off the Severn Trent Water Trust Fund, to ask them for help with clearing the Npower Electric arrears.

Anyone know, if NPower agree to put accounts on hold, while I apply to Severn Trent for a grant?

Thanks again,

Sim.

SimIsOnTheUp

churchrat wrote: »

I may have misread this, but how can a company get a warrent of entry to a flat where the owner is not the one that owes them money? if they are going to install a meter then surely it can only be where they have aright of entry? ie it will have to be in the op's flat?

Hiya Churchrat,

My flat is in one part of a building.

My Electric Meter, is in a cupboard, which is in my neighbours entrance hall.

Said neighbour, lives in another part of the building (the basement), with a seperate front door, which leads to her communal entrance hall (for her and her neighbour).

As the neighbour, usually locks that door, I won't be able to access my meter!

Cheers,

Sim.