Haven't paid NPower since Oct '11, help!

Diesel82

Hi all,

As per the title really, I moved into my current flat in October 2011 and have thus far never paid my electricity bill. I've been in a difficult situation personally and financially due to ending a long term relationship in mid 2011. I am now looking to sort out my debts and start with a clean slate.
NPower first contacted me in Oct 11 saying welcome, and have subsequently written to me with bills the last being from them in April 12 for £421.99. They then passed it on to 'power2contact' who sent me a letter in June 12 saying NPower asked them to contact me regarding an unpaid bill, potential disconnection and warrants to enter the property etc. This was the last I heard from either company.
Probably worth saying that everything is addressed to 'the occupier', so they do not have my name. I am not on the electoral register at this property, although I do pay the council tax.
There is no meter as far as I can tell in my property, although I may be wrong- the last bill of £421.99 was an estimated meter reading by NPower.
My question really is, what should I do now? I'm better off financially now as I sorted out some issues with my ex partner, so I do want to pay. I'd ideally like to set up a direct debit with them, but how to go about establishing what I currently owe and avoid any extra charges? Also, if I go with estimated meter readings, what would be a good ballpark figure that I'd owe (I guesstimated £1500-2000).
Any help on this would be hugely appreciated, particularly from people who have been in a similar situation...

Thanks in advance guys, this is a fantastic forum.

Fire_Fox

Welcome. It is a legal requirement to be registered to vote, but that is not the only way they can find out who the occupier is and chase you for up to six years.

Didn't you take readings when you moved in? If not you may be paying for someone else's use. There is a meter somewhere, it can be in the communal corridors or basement or anywhere in the building if you live in a flat. You need to ask your landlord/ letting agent where the meters are ASAP.

Diesel82

Thanks Fire Fox, had no idea that was a legal requirement!

As for checking the meter when I moved in, I was totally naive- I don't even know where it is. A lesson learned I guess... I'll go and find out.

Probably also worth mentioning that there is no (and thus I have never signed) a tenancy agreement with my landlord- he's done the whole thing on trust I suppose. Not that I'm suggesting I'd run off without paying, but where would this stand us legally if the debt collectors came knocking?

Still looking to find out the best way of going about paying them- is it best to just call and try to arrange a payment plan?

macman

You owe the debt as occupier, not your LL. So the lack of a tenancy agreement is not relevant.
Since you didn't register for an account when you moved in, and have made no effort to contact the supplier, they're going to pursue you for the full amount used since your occupation commenced. The back billing code will not apply. The major problem you are going to face are the meter readings at the start, which will have to be estimated, since no-one knows them. The supplier may also want proof of your start date-which is normally done by sending a copy of your tenancy agreement...
Given the likely size of the debt and the circumstances, they may want to install PPM's rather than agree a payment plan, unless you can offer a decent lump sum.
So the first thing to do is open an account and submit actual readings. Why would you want to use estimates?

Fire_Fox

Diesel82 wrote: »

Thanks Fire Fox, had no idea that was a legal requirement!

As for checking the meter when I moved in, I was totally naive- I don't even know where it is. A lesson learned I guess... I'll go and find out.

Probably also worth mentioning that there is no (and thus I have never signed) a tenancy agreement with my landlord- he's done the whole thing on trust I suppose. Not that I'm suggesting I'd run off without paying, but where would this stand us legally if the debt collectors came knocking?

Still looking to find out the best way of going about paying them- is it best to just call and try to arrange a payment plan?

You are a tenant and they are the landlord because you pay rent, you have a verbal AST (tenancy). Even if you did not pay rent you are the legal occupant so legally responsible for the bills. NPower could not take legal action in respect of the debt against you without your name, but that would not be too difficult to establish. They could get a court order to break in and cut off the supply or fit a prepayment meter without your name tho.

This whole situation is ringing alarm bells for me, professional landlords just don't do things 'on trust'. You would struggle to get benefits if you needed them, your landlord would find it easier to illegally evict you without proper documentation, as Macman says you may need a signed contract to prove the dates of your occupancy to NPower or a court.

Does your landlord even have consent to lease from the lender? If not you could easily be evicted at very short notice by the mortgage lender if the landlord was repossessed. Also suggests tax evasion, at which point I start wondering what other legislation the landlord is breaching. I hope I am wrong.

It should say on the electoral roll form that it is a legal requirement to register.

I would be inclined to write to NPower and offer a payment plan, enclose your Statement of Affairs so they can see what is affordable. The Debt Free Wannabe board can help tell you what is considered reasonable, or you can seek the support of one of the debt charities CCCS or Payplan. Also enclose your first instalment and keep paying religiously every month even if they refuse your offer. If any legal action is later taken you have a clear paper trail of your actions and it's obvious you are no longer evading payment. I suspect if you speak to Collections on the telephone it won't be a pleasant conversation, TBH I wouldn't give them a telephone number at all.
http://www.stoozing.com/msoc/soacalc.php

[Deleted User]

I sense a bit of a wind up with this OP seeking info as to how he/she can evade paying any electric bills. With the sentence " there is no meter as far as Ican tell in the property " that says it all. There is a meter, you just cant be bothered to locate it, poss in next doors flat, or a quick call to the landlord. My next door neighbour was as daft as your landlord in not having prepays fitted, i did warn him , and now he s had the last two tennants do runners sadling the latest tennant with an unjustified debt on her prepays which I am sorting out. At least when you move it will get the landlord to see sense and install prepays. That would ve certainly have got you searching out the meters a bit quicker than the year and half its taken you so far

macman

If the OP wanted to avoid paying, why would they bother posting on here? They'd just continue as before. Very disorganised, yes, wanting to avoid payment, no.

amiehall

I would suggest that, seeing as a "welcome" letter was received, npower probably have a closing reading from the previous tenant's account otherwise how would they know about a change of occupier?

If this is the case, once you give them a current reading, they will be able to calculate what you owe. You will then need to make payments that cover your ongoing usage and start to pay off the arrears.

Diesel82

sacsquacco wrote: »

I sense a bit of a wind up with this OP seeking info as to how he/she can evade paying any electric bills.

Not at all, I have only ever lived in one flat (other than with my parents) and my partner handled all of the finances, including bills as I was the sole breadwinner. I have been totally ignorant as to how electricity bill are calculated until now, which will be shocking to many on here Im sure! I would never disappear without paying everything Im due to my landlord- and I apologise to sacsquacco if it came accross that way! Macman summed it up rather nicely:


'If the OP wanted to avoid paying, why would they bother posting on here? They'd just continue as before. Very disorganised, yes, wanting to avoid payment, no.'

My landlord is actually a colleagues' brother, and is far from a 'proffessional' landlord. As stated before he has never asked for any tenancy agreement to be signed, and has never questioned whether or not any bills have gone unpaid. I guess he's happy to do this based on trust and my colleague vouching for me, which could have turned out to be a very foolish move if I were the type to run off...

I should point out that I have paid off my council tax in full, and have set up a direct debit for the coming year to ensure I dont fall behind again, so I am taking positive steps. I have no other household bills other than broadband, which I have never missed a payment on. I now only have to clear my debt to NPower and I will set up a direct debit to them too (if they'll allow me to ofcourse).

Amiehall, it actually occurred to me last night that the welcome letter indicates a closing reading being taken when the last tennant left, I really hope this is the case.

I think Ill go with Firefox's suggestion of writing them with my statement of affairs, and including an initial payment- this seems the most sensible course of action to me. Im sure that I could achieve a more favorable result this way than by telephone.

Id also like to ask for a very rough 'ballpark' estimate of what my bill wil be. New-build, 2 bedroom, third (top) floor flat which requires very little heating even in winter. One TV, one laptop and a rarely used tumble dryer will be the main energy guzzlers.

I ask this purely because my parents may be able to offer me help in the form of a large lump sum, which obviously will be far easier than trying to agree a payment plan...

Any help on this will be greatly appreciated.

Nada666

Surely it would take less time to locate your meter and see what it reads? Compare that with the reading from the bills you do have and see how much you owe. That would be a more accurate estimate than a random guess on a forum.

If you have an insulated flat then you may pay only £120 per year. Or you could easily pay £1200 per year and more. That is the range. Cooking and showers are also major costs - far more so than tvs or a once a week dryer.

macman

Simply phone them, give current meter readings (when you can find time to locate the meter) and register for an account. Why complicate things? They will then bill you, you can then work out a repayment plan.
You will be billed on the default Standard tariff, which is the most expensive. Impossible to say what you might owe, as we have no idea how the flat is heated and hot watered. E7 storage heaters and an immersion heater, convectors? Your main 'energy guzzlers'' are heating, hot water and tumble drying, not your laptop.
PS" were you to do a runner, your debts would not become payable by your landlord--it's nothing to do with him.