Debt to EON...need some advice!

spiro

You need to do two things:
1) Write out a statement of finance (incomings and outgoings) as this will allow you to agree a debt recovery rate. Note they will not count some things like mobile phones as outgoings, and
2) Phone Eon and ask for a PPM to be installed. This will stop the debt increasing (ever debt visit will be adding charges) and mean you only have to repay what you have agreed you can afford.

The prices on PPM these days are basically the same as a standard pay on bill credit tariff but you will be totally in control but this means no money, no fuel.

cottonhead

Hi

I had a similar problem with Eon. We had no meter reading for 6 months after we moved in and then incorrect bills for ages. We live in a 1 bed flat and one bill was £1500 and although I kept paying the bill kept increasing. I telephoned every time we had a bill to query it. One advisor was so rude telling me not to use the gas if I couodnt afford to pay for it. I was forced to have a meter installed. Fortunately just before the meter was installed it was discovered that these bills were as a result of a crossed meter. The correct bill was issued but the kept getting bigger and bigger again. It was because the digits had been read the wrong way. This happened every time and so I kept phoning to give a correct reading - my bill was adjusted etc etc.... anyway in the end I decided to leave Eon. After a few months I was sent a demand for £500 - no final bill or breakdown of how this was arrived at. I telephoned and was told to pay end of. Then I received a letter from UDS - the collection people that Eon use. They were rude and unhelpful when I offered to pay £50 a month. They wouldnt accept it so I had to end the call without paying. I then got another letter threatening court action. I found myself in a similar situation to you. I offered to pay but they wouldnt accept the amount. In the end I wrote a formal complaint letter to Eon outlining their poor service and stating that I was happy to pay but coulndt pay more than I could afford and if they were not so terrible I wouldnt have left anyway! They agreed to let me pay £63 a month. I might point out that each time I phoned I was told different . Call 1 - £160 is the minimum ammount - call 2 - £87 was the absolute minimum and after the letter - £63 !

I would make a formal written complaint about the way they are pressuring you. Outline that you accept you owe the money but you honestly thought it was being taken care of and offer to pay an amount you can afford. Explain that by agreeing to more than you can afford is only going to cause you to default on it or slip behind with more critcal bills such as rent. Make the payment at the time by including a cheque or telephoning to pay. Call several times if you have to. They will try to get more but if you dont have it then you cant pay. I would be careful not to actually make a high payment as they might assume you can afford it if you set a presedence. Send a statement showing your income and expenditure so that they can see it for themselves. Most importantly dont ever use Eon again!
Good luck.