Gas and electricity arrears

lisahelp

Has anyone any advice i am in debit with both my gas and electricity i am paying both off one by direct debit to cover what i am using plus the arrears and the other on a gas card,national debtline tell me that i need to include them in my bancruptcy is that right,if i do what happens to my supply.
thanks

cappa

i am 260 in arrears on electric and god knows for the gas help please !!!!!

tight_jock

Hi guys.
The pair of you need to get advice from one of the debt charities.

If you only have gas and leccy arrears, I think their is a scheme for help through the citizens advice.
As for your arrears going on the BR, I`m not 100% sure. Someone else will be along later, I`m sure.

betterlatethannever

Can i add on to this question please Lisa?
If you go BR with arrears to gas or elec do they then cancel your account with them or can you carry on using them?

lisahelp

Hi tight jock,
I never even thought about putting my gas and electric arrears on the BR forms but National Debtline say i have to or i am favouring a creditor,i was wondering if anyone else has any experiance off this.
thanks

lisahelp

I asked that on the National debtline and she advised me that they may put in a pre payment meter or ask for a deposit up front.

savagevixen

When we had yge unpaid arrears on our electric (pre-bankruptcy) in order to continue receiving electricity, they fitted a pre-payment meter which had the debt installed inside it. The debt came off at £5 per week. It was great actually, and got us in the habit of paying for electric before we used it. Now every house we live in, I have one installed.

With regards to gas, I don't know, but my mum has a pre-paid gas meter, so that maybe an option.

Our water arrears were included and the lovely man at SWW told me to send a copy of BR and the debt pre-BRdate would be written off!!

betterlatethannever

Thanks for that.
What happens though in rented accomodation?
I doubt my stuffy LL would allow a metre? can he be over-ridden on this ? i don't want to tell him i'm going BR is i can help it

lisahelp

can i just ask about 3 years ago i was overpaid some tax credits do i need to include them as i am not being chased by them and i never have paid anything back towards the overpayment or heard anything since,what will happen if i do not include them as i don't really have any information on them.
thanks

savagevixen

betterlatethannever wrote: »

Thanks for that.
What happens though in rented accomodation?
I doubt my stuffy LL would allow a metre? can he be over-ridden on this ? i don't want to tell him i'm going BR is i can help it

I am in rented accomodation (and I think always will be!!!) Landlords do not seem to have a problem at all with it.
a) If everything is up to date at the property, there are no problems for the landlords to have to deal with.
b) Pre-payment meters are (I beleive) 2% cheaper, and therefore it is perfectly reasonable to prefer one.(Because you pay in advance)

It is fitted exactly where the current one is, it is no bigger and if the next tenant/owner doesn't want it, they can have an ordinary one installed and it is free.
It is also free to request a pre-payment meter be fitted. It took the chap about 20 mins to do it here at this address. You can phone and explain you are having difficulties and ask to have one fitted and the debt loaded on to it.

savagevixen

lisahelp wrote: »

can i just ask about 3 years ago i was overpaid some tax credits do i need to include them as i am not being chased by them and i never have paid anything back towards the overpayment or heard anything since,what will happen if i do not include them as i don't really have any information on them.
thanks

I don't know really! We were overpaid £1500 last year and this is being clawed back at £3 per week. I included it (on an annual statement and ringed it in RED) indicating what was being taken from us. TC are not usually included in BR but they can be if the OR decides they should be.

`you could phone the insolvency helpline for advice they are very good.