Electricity Arrears/Bill

ArseandElbow

Hello all,

Well I was going to give them a call when i got in last night but thanks to a late running train service didnt' get home until 8:10 so missed them (I'm a 2 train and a bus journey away from home - so takes it's time!!).

They had readings when we moved in it looks like it is a mix of over estimating and us then under paying (and throw in a bit of finacial woes!!) anyway I got home to find the agen had been around saying he'd made final visit (even though he's been told we work shifts/long hours) he's left a warrant of entry to fit a meter with a hand written note on the template notice - saying I'd promised a £250 payment by noon yesterday which I hadn't as i was going to see if negotiating a deal other than prepay meter was possible hence my posting for advice here!!!

anyway going to ring SWALEC on my break, as this may be some time on the phone. I also STILL have not had the written revised bill for £760.

Wish me luck, he's left a number for the warrant team but should i contact the complaints dept instead?

ArseandElbow

DVardysShadow wrote: »

As for not issuing you with a revised bill, is the bill you already have based on estimated or actual readings? If it is actual readings with a date, then there is not a lot of arguing with it. But if it is estimated readings, you can dispute the bill and demand a bill based on actual readings. Dispute it in writing and keep a copy.

The initial £1100 bill was based on their estimated readings (inc my arrears), after the agent first visited last week (or week before - I wasn't home) he took a new reading and got a revised figure over the phone to his office of £900. It's only when i refused to pay £300 and disputed the new figure, that he eventually agreed to send out a new bill which I still haven't had. when I spoke to him on Wednesday night he told me the latest bill was actually £760, so they were already £340 out. The new amount of £760 is a more manageable bill and i know I can pay £150 of that at a push each month (in addition to a DD) but only from end of September when we'll have more money in.

macman

I very much doubt that they'll agree to wait another 5 weeks before they receive anything, they'll simply see it as a delaying tactic, rightly or wrongly.
Once the cost of a warrant and forcible entry/PPM fitment are added, you'll have an even larger debt-and you're asking for 5-6 months just to pay off the arrears, let alone ongoing usage, which will shot up come October
To stop them proceeding with the warrant, you'll certainly need to pay off a decent chunk of the arrears now.
Alternatively agree to them voluntarily fitting a PPM.

ArseandElbow

macman wrote: »

I very much doubt that they'll agree to wait another 5 weeks before they receive anything

To stop them proceeding with the warrant, you'll certainly need to pay off a decent chunk of the arrears now.
Alternatively agree to them voluntarily fitting a PPM.

Well first payment would be a DD from my regular payment date 15th of each month.

I've already stated that I'm not in a position to make a large payment at the moment, and the agent was aware of this.

Again as i've said above, if a PPM is the only option then I'm fine to take that, just prefer to clear via DD.

macman

But you said that you were not in a position to clear any arrears until end Sept?
Your regular DD (unless adjusted), just covers ongoing consumption, it will not make any impact on your debt.
SSE must have been chasing this debt for a log time before resorting to a warrant, so I suspect that you have run out of time.
The lack of a revised bill does not really matter, you can read the meter yourself and work out approximately what is owed.

ArseandElbow

I can continue regular payments (for ongoing consumption) from middle of the month but anything over that not until end of September. Been in contact them for a while but never getting replies to emails etc... I'll speak to them see where it goes. As long as the arrears start decreasing I don't mind.

macman

So, as I said, you cannot reduce the debt at all for another 5 weeks, and then at only £150pm. As the warrant process is now underway, you need to speak to someone ASAP to see if a manageable plan can be agreed, otherwise you are simply going to end up with a PPM anyway, plus all the extra costs of having it done forcibly.

ArseandElbow

Will ring them in approx 2 hours. This is what i want, a payment plan that is manageable no point in promising them money I not got.

(had to take a paycut of over 30% which kind made a mess of payment plans I had set up!) only now am I starting to get back on top of these things.. Will post the outcome.

Premier_2

macman wrote: »

So, as I said, you cannot reduce the debt at all for another 5 weeks, and then at only £150pm. As the warrant process is now underway, you need to speak to someone ASAP to see if a manageable plan can be agreed, otherwise you are simply going to end up with a PPM anyway, plus all the extra costs of having it done forcibly.

To echo this, the costs of obtaining and executing a warrant are not cheap ... and the costs will simply be added to your debt and included on the PPM that will inevitably follow. :eek:

Save yourself time, money (and the possible embarrassment of the warrant being executed) by contacting the supplier now! If you have time to post on t'tinternet, you have time to contact the creditor to resolve your debts, by voluntarily accepting a PPM if that is the only way.

ArseandElbow

I can type at desk can't ring / incoming calls only!

I'm clock checking until I can ring.