please help.. worried about electricity

jojoxx

Hello,
Thanks for reading this firstly. I am really worried about my electricity situation and I've buried my head in the sand but it is causing me to feel so worried and stressed I wonder if I could get some advice. I moved in as a tenant nearly 5 years ago. I phoned up the supplier as you do and gave meter readings. The man said it was a card meter so he would send me a card... So I waited for the electricity to run out before topping it... 5 years later and I'm still waiting.. After a while I had a look at the meter and it doesn't seem to have any card device attached... they also said it was an economy 7 meter which it isn't... They have sent me a statement every year saying I am x amount in debt but never asking for a payment.. I have never had the meter read as I haven't been here when they have come and was too scared to fill out the card... Last September they sent me a letter saying they were concerend I wasn't using the prepayment device properly but then I heard nothing since until last week when a man from the electricity company came to my house... I was not in but my neighbour saw him and he came back last night and I was so scared I actually hid in my own house... I cant eat or sleep thinking about it.. I am a single mum with a 1 year old and am on a low income, I really dont know what to do but wonder if it is better that I contact them myself before it escalates... Please help if you can I really need some advice on the best thing to do and my rights if I have any...
Thanks again,
Jo

hullight

The statement saying you are in debt is asking for payment surely?

So because they have invoiced you you can't get out of this using the Billing Code rules, so you might find yourself paying for the last five years of electricity you have used.

Nip this in the bud now as you could be owing a serious amount of money, and you don't want to ignore this.

undaunted

I wonder whether you were originally genuinely "burying your head in the sand" or simply someone on a low income who was therefore "riding their luck" a little?

Either way, unless you are able to evidence the fact that you have genuinely made contact with the company, provided estimates, it is a credit meter and they have incorrectly failed to bill you and that they are therefore also at least partially at fault (5 years without chasing payment or querying why there were no pre payments to tie in with the supposed meter and they are in my opinion) it's very likely that this is now shortly going to catch up with you.

You should not however be afraid and do not need to hide in your own home, they are only supposed to ask you to repay any debt at a rate you can genuinely afford and, with a 1 year old baby in the house should not disconnect you in the meanwhile.

Your supplier may also have various schemes which can help you with payment of bills if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Talk to your supplier as soon as possible, or if you wish contact a free help service such as a local Citizens Advice Bureau, Community Legal Advice Centre or, by phone / internet, the Consumer Credit Counselling Service, Consumer Focus etc & ask if they can assist you in resolving this issue (and any other debts you may have).

These sites may be of help / interest to you.
http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/
http://www.cccs.co.uk/
http://www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk/en/about/clacs.jsp
http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

Good luck

jojoxx

thanks for your replies... the statement were prepayment statements and just showed a - amount but did not ask for payment or give methods of payment or dates to pay by etc... I understand why you think I was riding my luck but I have had so much to deal with in that period of time and I just didnt know what to do for the best, I am trying to get things on track and just wanted some advice... I am going to CAB on Friday and will have a look at the other links... The thing that frightens me is being harrassed at home as I sometimes get panic attack and dont want to have one when I am alone with my daughter as I am her sole carer...

foxglove666

You really do need to deal wih this as soon as you can. I don't think any supply will cut you off with a one year old. however if you do have a PrePayment meter and for some reason it has given you electricty without needing to top up all they can/will ask for is to pay what you have used. Ask if they have any social tariffs or schemes that you may qualify for with being on a low income and single parent etc. also the most they can ask for is £10 per week if you are on PrePayment and with the help from CAB and a financal statment this could be dropped to as low as £3.

Don't hide it'll only make it worse.

dogshome

Hi jojoxx - This is a puzzzle

Your supplier says it's a card meter, yet it has supplied power for 5 years without it being fed and you cannot see any card slot

Your supplier says it's an ECO7 meter, but you say it is not.

This could be due to a mix-up in the wrong meter being allocated to your address - If the annual 'statements' you have had list the meter number, check that this is the same as the number on your meter, but in any case you need to contact your supplier for a visit by appointment to check
the meters type and correct operation

Depending on the particular circumstances of this lack of billing, you might have a claim under the "12 months only back-billing agreement", so when you have the facts post them on this thread

undaunted

jojoxx wrote: »

thanks for your replies... the statement were prepayment statements and just showed a - amount but did not ask for payment or give methods of payment or dates to pay by etc... I understand why you think I was riding my luck but I have had so much to deal with in that period of time and I just didnt know what to do for the best, I am trying to get things on track and just wanted some advice... I am going to CAB on Friday and will have a look at the other links... The thing that frightens me is being harrassed at home as I sometimes get panic attack and dont want to have one when I am alone with my daughter as I am her sole carer...

There is obviously something wrong somewhere as even if you had a pre payment system you'd have expected not to be able to use 5 years worth of electric without payment under any system.

"Riding your luck" wasn't actually meant to sound like a criticism, actually with a limited income, even if no child at that point, I can see why you might. I actually blame your supplier & the lousy systems in the industry for allowing the situation to arise at least as much as I'd blame yourself

The CAB will help you & depending upon the circumstances may possibly be able to argue that some should be written off as others suggest but at worst they can't just "harrass" or disconnect a single mum with a low income & a 1 year old baby - you are what they would call a "vulnerable customer" & there are codes of practice which all suppliers supposedly follow to protect you.

Good luck at the CAB & let us know how you get on.