Posting on behalf of very worried friend

emily_jackson

I'm posting on behalf of my friend, who has a young son. She's very worried because her gas supplier wants her to make an appointment for them to read the meter, and she thinks that she's going to get a bill that's £1,500 + because she reckons she's they've been underestimating her usage a lot. What she wants to know is, can they legally cut her off and leave her and the baby with no heating or hot water? Or will they install a prepayment meter and make her pay the debt off each month?

molerat

They cannot simply cut her off but they can insist on a pre payment meter which, if the debt is as large as she thinks, will be a good idea. How long has it taken to build up to this figure ? Has she got some meter readings available and are the correct cu m or 100's cu ft figures being used. When was the last time the meter was read ?

Cardew

The normal procedure is to to massively increase her Direct Debit if she pays by that method. If paying quarterly they might agree to paying off the arrears with large payments each month; however fitting a pre-payment meter is the most likely outcome.

McKneff

What makes her think that they have been underestimating her usage.
She could be worrying for nothing............

macman

If she knows the bill may be £1500+, then she must be aware of what the actual usage is as opposed to the estimated bills so far received.
The meter has legally to be read every 2 years, so a head in the sand approach inevitably results in a large bill eventually.

mattcanary

She only has herself to blame quite frankly - and she should just phone the supplier up with the meter reading. gas meters are not difficult to read

Premier_2

To owe £1500 over a maximum 2 year period when she has presumably been paying something towards the total cost based on under-estimated bills, is a very large amount.

Is she absolutely sure she will owe that amount?

Whatever is owed, she should be able to negotiate repayment over a similar period to which the original debt was built up and still remain on the credit meter which will mean she could still benefit from the lower cost tariffs such meters allow.

Otherwise, a prepayment meter will be considered in order to recover the amount owed. However, pre-payment meters sometimes cannot be installed.

tesuhoha

A pre-payment meter is an exhortionate way of paying for gas. She should try to negotiate a monthly overpayment with the supplier rather than taking the meter option or she might find she cannot afford to run it.,

Cardew

tesuhoha wrote: »

A pre-payment meter is an exhortionate way of paying for gas. She should try to negotiate a monthly overpayment with the supplier rather than taking the meter option or she might find she cannot afford to run it.,

Actually these days with the revised tariffs, pre-payment are not hugely expensive - they are around the cost of the Standard tariffs; albeit you don't get the dual fuel or direct debit discounts.

Admittedly they are considerably more than the internet tariffs - but it is unlikely the OP's friend is on an internet tariff to run up a £1,500 debt.

KimYeovil

£30 per week to repay over a year compared to £3 per week to repay with a prepayment meter. She is far more likely to be unable to afford to run a credit meter than the modest premium of a prepayment meter (the premium is a lot less than £27 per week)).

emily_jackson

Thanks for all the advice. In answer to some of your responses, the meter was last read at the start of her tenancy in February 2009. She does worry a bit and admits that she's buried her head in the sand, but is convinced that she's going to have a really high bill. I don't really know much about these things as I've always been on prepayment, but my advice to her was to contact the CAB. She just wanted to know if legally they could cut her off and leave her and the baby with no gas or hot water