3 year old electricity bill - should I pay ?

Forgetful_Boy

Hi all,

In my final year as a student (2008) I regsitered with NPower for our electricity bill.

Living with 8 lads all of whom strpped for cash bills were inevtiably late paid.

Ultimately we left the property with around £250 outstanding, in my name.

I then started work and as soon as I was up and running, fully intended to pay the outstanding.

However time elapsed and I just plain forgot about the bill. I never received any calls chasing me for it.

About 9months had elapsed I think when I stumbled across a memo I'd written re this overdue bill, so I called them up.

The operator siad the amount wasnt at collections though I do need to pay it asap. I gave a contact number and promised to pay as soon as I was able.

Being somewhat mindless, I then forgot about it for a second time - until now...some 3 years on !!

My question is, should I just call the company back up and pay the amount or do I risk one of the following :

• The amount having tripled (or worse) in size
• Flagging myself as the debtor, it seems as though they have made no effort to contact me that the amount has just been written off ? - By calling I could own up to something they had just swallowed and as a result affect my credit rating ?

Any advice would be much appreciated

Thanks

Cardew

Check your credit record now.

Normally a utility company sell outstanding accounts to a Debt Collection Agency(DCA) after a few months.

They presumably haven't managed to trace you.

kt1inamillion

I used to wrk for E-ON but thank God I don't anymore (long story!!!)

If the debt is still with N-Power and not passed to a debt collector you won't been seen as a debtor and it won't affect your credit rating. I don't think anything would be added to it unless they do start making calls or letters to you. If they do pass to a collector the collect may start charging for letters calls late fees etc...

I'd really doubt they have given up on this, its probably in a line waiting to be processed. E-ON chase debts from £30 upwards. Also bare in mind if you move to another company the N-Power are suppling they will find you and start trying to reclaim and at the very very VERY worse could get a pre-payment meter instulled on a warrent in the new property and have you pay back that way. Electirc and pre-payment is stupidly over priced!

The best advice I can give is call N-Power up and set up a payment plan that you can afford Eg. 5 months X £50, they would prefere this as they are getting their money without doing anything to chase it.

I've done similar things before with Electric , Gas and phone bills and they have all been happy to help.

Take Care
Katie x

Forgetful_Boy

Thanks Cardew and Katie.

So yeh, if I check my credit score and nothing is showing - as you say presumably they haven't been able to trace me.

If so, what am I best off doing - I mean I'm happy and able to pay the amount now - however I don't want to enter into a situation whereby they would then attach the payment I made onto my credit file, as a satisfied late payment (by 3 years!!) - as that would look bad on my already dubiuos credit score.

If nothing is showing am I best to just forget about it and expect that I've got away with it ?

What about when I come to sign up with them again in the future - could it flag then?

Many thanks

Cardew

Forgetful_Boy wrote: »

If nothing is showing am I best to just forget about it and expect that I've got away with it ?

There is a section on MSE called 'Money Moral Maze' - suggest you post there:cool:

Sooler

Forgetful_Boy wrote: »

as that would look bad on my already dubiuos credit score.

if it's already dubious it won't make any difference...
pay the bill ... end of dilemma