Can you get legal aid for smal business debt?

tumptyteapot

A friend is in dispute with EDF about the electricity bill, there was a year when the meter was being read without the last digit and EDF sent a bill for £2k to cover the extra.
My friend disputed that but kept paying the bills that came in which were the same sort of cost as before so it looks as though the meter is wrong.
EDF sent the baliffs round last week, without warning.

There is not much in his workshop apart from blacksmithing tools and musical instruments - he is a blacksmith that teaches guitar.

Any advice would be much appreciated!
Lisa

zppp

tumptyteapot wrote: »

A friend is in dispute with EDF about the electricity bill, there was a year when the meter was being read without the last digit and EDF sent a bill for £2k to cover the extra.
My friend disputed that but kept paying the bills that came in which were the same sort of cost as before so it looks as though the meter is wrong.
EDF sent the baliffs round last week, without warning.

There is not much in his workshop apart from blacksmithing tools and musical instruments - he is a blacksmith that teaches guitar.

Any advice would be much appreciated!
Lisa

Did they send bailiffs or debt collectors. Bailiffs are appointed by court, so at least a CCJ would be required. If your friend is disputing the bill, have they not expressed this to EDF, and or OFGEM?

tumptyteapot

baliffs and no ccj, and he has expressed this to edf but they have ignored his letters

Premier_2

EDF don't send bailiffs or debt collectors without first sending numerous letters asking for payment.
Only when those letters go ignored do they actually make a visit.

If "your friend" used the electric, then he should pay for what he's used.
The meter is on his premises and he should be regularly checking, especially against any bill received.

If he truly believes he's in the right, he doesn't need legal aid. Just wait for the summons, turn up in court with a photo of the meter showing they were reading it correctly in the past ands have now made an error adding the extra digit

Edit: If they were court appointed bailiffs, sounds like he (or his business) has a ccj recorded against him. He's probably ignored that too.

Edit 2: What do you mean EDF have ignored his letters? You said the bailiffs only turned up last week ... and it's only Tuesday today???

Premier_2

tumptyteapot wrote: »

hmm, thanks everyone, he went into panic mode and pretended it wasn't happening :-(

From your thread about 6 months ago
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2501425

tumptyteapot

There have been some developments since then. He disputed the amount with EDF who ignored all his letters but he kept paying bills for lecki used. The new bills for this year were the same sort of amounts as the old bills which means that there is something wrong with EDF's billing. They were saying that the extra 0 at the end meant that more money was owed but the bills are roughly the same for the same amount of electricity used 2 years later.
After talking to you all earlier this year I thought he was in the wrong too but the bills now make it clear that he is not.

He has had no CCJ to ignore, assuming it is something that is posted to you? Nothing, no communication with EDF at all since that original thread apart from new bills he has paid.

Anyway, he has spoken to the Energy Ombudsman who I didn't know existed and they have told him to write to EDF and copy them in on it and they will take it from there hopefully!