Help!! Powergen Bill

missy1

Hi all.
This is my first post. I have a problem with Powergen billing me for £285.35.

I received a phone call from them on Monday evening, telling me i owe this amount because the tariff hadn't been changed on my old card meter. (A new Meter has recently been installed) They told me, that back in September, they sent a letter requesting access to my property. I did not receive this letter. I requested a copy of this letter, but haven't received it. I argued the fact, that the letter hadn't been sent. They then told me they would meet me half way with the bill reducing it to £142.68 because as well as myself:huh: they too are at fault. I asked for this to be put into writing, along with a copy of the letter sent in September. Today, i received the letter, with the offer, but of course no copy, because i truly don't believe this was ever sent.
The letter i have received, states 'I'm writing to confirm the details of our telephone conversation.' but as expected it doesn't say why, they are willing to reduce the amount. They also say they have tried on a number of occasions to enter my property to change the tariff.

OK. I didn't receive any such letter, back in September, but they did change my meter for a new type, only a couple of months ago. They never have a problem entering our property to read the meter, this is done quarterly. In the letter i have just received, they say the £142.68 can be paid weekly by updating my meter. This can be done by sending a MESSAGE to my meter.:think:

I really don't want to pay them anything...Please help!!
Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Regards

Sam

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

If the tariffs on your meter have not been updated, the official position is you are still liable for the full amount of £285.

However as it is a pre pay meter, and the whole purpose of a pre-pay meter is, as the name implies, to pre pay, there has been a lot of bad publicity for the companies allowing large debts to build up.

This is why they have reduced your debt by 50%.

You can try to get it further reduced, but technically you are liable for the debt. It depends how far the company will 'push' matters.

missy1

Thanks for the quck reply, Cardew.

The pre pay meter issue and bad publicity was mentioned during the telephone conversation. Your right, after i mentoned these issues, she then offered to reduce the bill. I'll try contacting the same person and attempt at reducing it even more.
So was it up to me to keep tracks on the tariff changes and contact them? I asked this question, which she couldn't give an answer to. I assume this is why our meter was changed, to prevent this type of thing happening.

Any tips on what i should say, to reduce the bill would be great.

Thanks

Sam;)

Mr&MrsSkint

This issue has been widely reported. My advice would be to write to Mr Nick Horler, MD Powergen Retail, Westwood Way, Westwood Business Park, Coventry CV4 8LG. Stating that you don't dispute that the energy has been used, but you wish to agree some way of repaying the monies. I am sure that Nick and his team will be more than willing to resolve this amicably with you. If they don't Energywatch will be more than interested in their reasons why.

Hope this helps.

missy1

Thank-you The Skints

They have made an offer of £5 per week over a period of 29 weeks.
It sounds like a good suggestion to write to them, so thanks for the contact name and address. At least i can still try to reduce the bill.

Crystaltipps_2

If you feel that £5 per week is still too much, you should be able to get them to go down as low as £1. What people are saying about you basically being liable for the balance is true, and its possibly a combination of a number of price increases that have caused it.

However, if you have allowed the meter man in to read every quarter, you will have much stronger arguement for a longer payment arrangement if that would suit you more.

space_rider

Hi Sam. I found this.

http://www.energywatch.org.uk/your_questions/index.aspam,

missy1

Thanks Crystaltipps.
According to energy watch http://www.energywatch.org.uk/your_questions/index.asp
This problem has been addressed by some companies, but others like powergen, Scottish power and Npower haven't.

missy1

Thanks space rider.

Crystaltipps_2

Hi Missy1

Powergen and the others have not agreed with Energywatch's ruling as they have many more customers who have token meters, a lot of whom have not allowed the supplier to enter the property to update the meters. (although by your post, you are not one of these)

These complanies have a repayment policy rather than a write off the balance policy, and as far as I am aware Powergen will go down to as low as £1 if you ask them to.

Gal

No longer relevant.