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Scottish and Southern Energy pre-pay meter problem - HELP!
Hi,
our gas and electric supplier is Scottish and Southern Energy. We got in debt with the electric and a meter was fitting (the gas has always remained billed and paid by direct debit).
When the meter was fitted it was agreed we would pay off the debt at £20 a week, so whenever we topped up the key a percentage always went to paying the debt and was taken off the amount left to provide electricity.
We were given one key, we have always used the same key. Now almost 2 years later we are moving and rang to inform them of this and they have said we have the wrong key, a new key was sent to us a year ago (which we never received) and none of the debt has been paid!!
The meter fitted and the key are the same (both say EDF). Luckily we kept receipts of all the key payments we made in the first year. When we checked back over them the receipts did say Scottish and Southern Energy at the start and then changed to EDF after about 5 months, but the meter serial number is the same on all the receipts. we never paid attention to the receipts just that the amount was correct and then stored them away.
Could the keys have been swapped? The key has always looked the same so we don’t think it was swapped but why did the receipts suddenly start saying EDF?
Also if the meter was set up to automatically take off £20 a week, when we topped up the key and put it in the meter why would it not do this regardless?
I specifically remember that when we put the key in for about a year it would automatically reduce the amount put on which we believed was for the debt.
HELP!
our gas and electric supplier is Scottish and Southern Energy. We got in debt with the electric and a meter was fitting (the gas has always remained billed and paid by direct debit).
When the meter was fitted it was agreed we would pay off the debt at £20 a week, so whenever we topped up the key a percentage always went to paying the debt and was taken off the amount left to provide electricity.
We were given one key, we have always used the same key. Now almost 2 years later we are moving and rang to inform them of this and they have said we have the wrong key, a new key was sent to us a year ago (which we never received) and none of the debt has been paid!!
The meter fitted and the key are the same (both say EDF). Luckily we kept receipts of all the key payments we made in the first year. When we checked back over them the receipts did say Scottish and Southern Energy at the start and then changed to EDF after about 5 months, but the meter serial number is the same on all the receipts. we never paid attention to the receipts just that the amount was correct and then stored them away.
Could the keys have been swapped? The key has always looked the same so we don’t think it was swapped but why did the receipts suddenly start saying EDF?
Also if the meter was set up to automatically take off £20 a week, when we topped up the key and put it in the meter why would it not do this regardless?
I specifically remember that when we put the key in for about a year it would automatically reduce the amount put on which we believed was for the debt.
HELP!
0
Comments
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If the reciepts started saying EDF, then somehow your supply has moved to EDF at that point. Once that happens, even though you are still using the SSE key, all the payments will have gone through to EDF instead (it doesn't matter whos key you use, paypoint still send the money to whoever is actually supplying you). Once that happened you stopped paying your debt back to SSE (as you weren't paying them anything any more), but may well have been paying it to EDF instead.
As you didn't owe EDF anything this means that they should not have been taking any more than payment for the electric you used from you, so if you think debt was still coming off of your top ups after changing supplier, EDF may owe you money. You should get in touch with them and check whether they did take over your supply then, and why. Then (assuming that they did take over the supply) ask if the meter was still taking money for debt even though you didn't owe them anything. They should be able to check this on their records for you and refund you the debt payments if the meter was still taking them.
Unfortunately, the way it works is if you have paid some of the debt to EDF, they will refund that to you, rather than sending it to SSE. You then have the option of having that debt put back on the meter to pay over time or just using the refund to pay it off completely...
The part that may cause a big problem is that if you did not agree to move to EDF, they may have taken over the supply in someone else's name (either through a dodgy salesman or through someone nearby trying to change to EDF as supplier and the agent miss-typing the address). In that case they will probably need you to provide some form of proof of tenancy before they will send you out a refund as their reccords will shows it as being due to someone else.I am an employee of British Gas, however the views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of Centrica, its subsidiaries or affiliated companies.0 -
Try this:
Put your key in the meter
Push the blue button to scroll through the menu
Keep pushing it until you reach "S", (the letters are on the left side of the screen)
At screen "S" you will be shown any debt outstanding.
At screen "T" you will see the repayment per week.
Edit: This should show if if EDF have been getting your money instead. Or at least if any debt at all has been paid to one ofthe 2 suppliers involved.Here to learn and pass on my experiences.
Had a total of £8200 of debt written off due to harassment during 2010 and 2012.0 -
Welshdebtor: That shows if there is still any debt on the meter, however if the OP finished paying it at some point in the past, or it was wiped by a supplier (as a new supplier should do if they take over a property) then it won't show anything. After 2 years at £20 a week, the odds are that the debt will now be clear and there is no historical information about debt stored on meters...I am an employee of British Gas, however the views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of Centrica, its subsidiaries or affiliated companies.0
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Welshdebtor: That shows if there is still any debt on the meter, however if the OP finished paying it at some point in the past, or it was wiped by a supplier (as a new supplier should do if they take over a property) then it won't show anything. After 2 years at £20 a week, the odds are that the debt will now be clear and there is no historical information about debt stored on meters...
True, but there is a chance it could show something so thought it may be worth checking "just in case".
OP - i am shocked that some how your supplier was switched without you knowing. How ever it happened, I would of thought you would of got something from SSE saying something like "We are sorry you are leaving us.....etc" and/or a welcome pack from EDF, which would of aroused your suspicion.Here to learn and pass on my experiences.
Had a total of £8200 of debt written off due to harassment during 2010 and 2012.0 -
I am confused - Your supplier is SSE who you got into debt with prior to switching to a Prepaid meter? SSE arranged for you to get a prepaid meter to help you budget/repay debt?Why does your meter and key have EDF on then, if you were with and believed you were staying with SSE?Here to learn and pass on my experiences.
Had a total of £8200 of debt written off due to harassment during 2010 and 2012.0 -
Meters tend not to be branded to the actual supplier. Usually it's the local distribution company who's details you get on them so I'd immagine that the OP is in an area where EDF are the distributor. Otherwise there would be problems when you change supplier and your meter suddenly has all of the wrong branding.
The key should definitely have originally been SSE though. I missed that when I first read the post...I am an employee of British Gas, however the views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of Centrica, its subsidiaries or affiliated companies.0 -
Meters tend not to be branded to the actual supplier. Usually it's the local distribution company who's details you get on them so I'd immagine that the OP is in an area where EDF are the distributor. Otherwise there would be problems when you change supplier and your meter suddenly has all of the wrong branding.
The key should definitely have originally been SSE though. I missed that when I first read the post...
That makes sense as my meter is branded scottish power but I am with BG.Here to learn and pass on my experiences.
Had a total of £8200 of debt written off due to harassment during 2010 and 2012.0
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