Can they cut you off or is it illegal?

undaunted

Pre pay meters are no longer as expensive as they once were, you would pay something comparable with a standard tarrif, not get direct debit discounts etc but then I imagine you were on a standard tarrif anyway.

As above you can switch to a new supplier if you do get a dro but that does not mean they will want (or be forced) to let you have a credit account.

lstar337

E.L.James wrote: »

Is it true that you pay a little more with PPM? This website is great at finding the best offers you can switch to and all. Then using cashback sites, you cant do that with a PPM.

Since when?

I have a PPM (fitted before I moved in), and I had no trouble using a comparisson site to find the best deal based on my consumption.

On the plus side, close monitoring of my consumption has allowed me to virtually cut it in half. I saved more money this way than I would have with a DD discount!

Wywth

E.L.James wrote: »

Ive been advised thats its illegal for them to cut your utilities off no matter how much you owe?

Is this correct,can anyone direct me to relevent legistation?

Yeah, totally illegal.

You can use as much energy as you want and you never have to pay for it :cool:

Cardew

E.L.James wrote: »

If the old debt is relieved, then there is no debt to repay. I can start again with a new utility company. From now on I will pay. I really do not want prepay meters fitted. We have children, its hard if you have no electric and no hot water and you are waiting for your next payday.

I think everyone appreciates that problem.

However you have to understand that going for a DRO will affect your credit rating. You simply cannot expect all debts to be written-off and you start again as if nothing had happened.

You have to accept that you won't be offered credit facilities by a Utility company and IMO a pre-pay meter is inevitable.

It used to be the case that pre-pay tariffs were much more expensive than other tariffs. However, as stated above, these days pre-pay tariffs are not that much more expensive.

E.L.James

bob_bank_spanker wrote: »

You pay no more than the supplier's standard tariff.

Exactly, the standard tariff is usually very expensive.

with PPM fitted you can not shop around and switch regularly.

undaunted

Wywth wrote: »

Yeah, totally illegal.

You can use as much energy as you want and you never have to pay for it :cool:

:rotfl:
But be careful you aren't taken seriously here judging by the way the thread seems to be headed

E.L.James wrote: »

Exactly, the standard tariff is usually very expensive.

with PPM fitted you can not shop around and switch regularly.

What tarrif do you think you will be on & how are you going to pay it, what will be different to the position when you got into this mess?

If there is credible reason to explain the debt & how you will be able to maintain future payments then an energy trust grant might be an option for the old utility debts but as you've currently posted you just don't appear to be being realistic here

bob_bank_spanker

E.L.James wrote: »

Exactly, the standard tariff is usually very expensive.

with PPM fitted you can not shop around and switch regularly.

I was trying to positively spin the PPM situation, however I will have to join everyone else and spell it out.

You have no choice. You have proven you can't be trusted with credit, a utility company is unlikely to grant you this however much you stamp your feet. You "not wanting one" is not high on their list of concerns.

E.L.James

undaunted wrote: »

:rotfl:
But be careful you aren't taken seriously here judging by the way the thread seems to be headed



What tarrif do you think you will be on & how are you going to pay it, what will be different to the position when you got into this mess?

If there is credible reason to explain the debt & how you will be able to maintain future payments then an energy trust grant might be an option for the old utility debts

There is credible reason, I did not realise that my council tax benefit has been scrapped from april.

I have all kinds of problems keeping up with bills and food with all the cuts, how is anyone supposed to live with food and fuel and utilities going up so much?

undaunted

E.L.James wrote: »

There is credible reason, I did not realise that my council tax benefit has been scrapped from april.

I have all kinds of problems keeping up with bills and food with all the cuts, how is anyone supposed to live with food and fuel and utilities going up so much?

In this area the Council wrote to claimants warning them they would have to pay 25% in future a couple of months before the changes came in. Whether that really helped is arguable of course but they were at least aware of what was coming.

Obviously I do not know in detail your personal circumstances - though they would have to be dire to qualify for a DRO - but I do appreciate the general problem that such cuts have caused for those who were already struggling.

It's the Govts attempt to drive the out of work into work - fine if it were entirely true that all unemployed are choosing not to work - though of course that isn't true at all & they appear to have done little to boost the economy / create more jobs.

Unfortunately, in terms of applying for something like an energy trust grant it isn't going to help you however as you are unlikely to be any better of in the future and able to maintain payments if they did give a grant to clear the debt.

Similarly, in terms of applying for a DRO and then wanting a future supply on a credit account basis. Again, would you lend anyone money if you thought they couldn't pay it back?

Wywth

E.L.James wrote: »

...with PPM fitted you can not shop around and switch regularly.

Again, absolutely correct.

Beats me why MSE spent their time & effort writing this article, let alone publishing it :cool:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/switch-prepaid-gas-electricity

And why would anyone want a PPM, when you can have an unlimited meter and there is no way on earth you could ever be made to pay??? :cool: