Moved into a house with large gas debt on meter

footyguy

TheRizza wrote: »

I've recently moved into my first house. The house was empty from september 2014 and tenanted before that. I got the keys at the end of december but it was a bigger than i thought renovation project so I've only just moved in.

I topped up gas for the first time and had a look at the meter, I know I should of done this before but as it was pre pay I thought if I didn't use it nothing could happen and as I wasn't using gas I never thought about it, topped up and used electric and it was fine... anyway turns out theres a debt on the meter of £450 under "gd remaining".

Spoke to EDF today and they said they asked or some readings and photos but not too sure what will happen, anybody had something similar happen and what was the outcome? any advice?

Thanks

You should have registered as a new user the day you became responsible for the property. Where a PPM is fitted, they usually send a new top up key (or tell you where/how to obtain one)

When you then credit the meter with your top up key, any existing debt is removed. It may take up to about 3 times to remove it, but this would all have been explained if you had called them.

By using someone elses card, you have effectivley credited that other persons account when you topped up the card. :doh:

It should be possible for the supplier to unravel this even now, but it's complicated. If the previous account holder did the right thing and advised the supplier at the time they were moving out (and so would have given a meter reading) it makes things simpler.

Unless you advise otherwise, you will be charged at the suppliers deemed rate, which is expensive from the day you became responsible/first used the supply. (But with a PPM, there's not usually much choice of tariff)

You can only change supplier after you have first registered with the existing supplier.

footyguy

xHannahx wrote: »

...Ecotricity don't normally show on price comparison sites,

All the suppliers and all their generally available tariffs are included on all accredited comparison sites (unless the supplier specifically requests otherwise)

I have certainly seen Ecotricity on comparison sites before, and I have just checked today using energyhelpline and a PPM, and they are showing ... but you may have to look a long way down the list.

Don't get tied into the sales talk. Yes, Ecotricity appear to charge the same no matter how you pay, but going by their prices I would suggest they charge those who pay monthly by DD the same high rate as they charge their PPM customers.

You claim Ecotricity are the cheapest supplier for you? Perhaps, but I suggest like you must have done, that everyone consults a comparison site to find the best deal for their own situation.

Could you tell me your details (annual usage, supply region) that indicates they work out a lot supplier your you as I'm intrigued by this claim.

Nada666

naedanger wrote: »

I agree in principle that very poor customers should not have to pay more money to subsidise non payers. However I am not sure how this can be achieved. One way might be to ensure that those on prepayment meters (who are more likely to be poorer than those on a credit meter) don't bear any of the losses from non payers.

I do wonder if those pre-payment customers who pay for their usage end up subsidising the non payers more than customers on credit meters. (This could happen if the suppliers lump all pre-payment customers into one category and expect that category, as a whole, to cover all the losses from its customers.)

Sorry, my first post was confusing - I was saying the same - there is no reason for poor people to use prepayment meters - they should just use credit meters. There is a large contingent of reluctant customers who stick with them because they can't be bothered to budget. Just as they choose to shop in Brighthouse and waste money. The vast majority of such poor people have zero need to do so.

naedanger

Nada666 wrote: »

Sorry, my first post was confusing - I was saying the same - there is no reason for poor people to use prepayment meters - they should just use credit meters. There is a large contingent of reluctant customers who stick with them because they can't be bothered to budget. Just as they choose to shop in Brighthouse and waste money. The vast majority of such poor people have zero need to do so.

Maybe it was my post that was confusing because I was not saying that poor customers should only use credit meters. Some may find it hard to get credit, even if they have never been in debt, and other people simply prefer never to be in debt. I think these people should have a choice of pre-payment meters if they wish.

I think we may also disagree on who should pick up the cost of non paying prepayment customers. I believe if the costs arising from these non paying customers are only spread over the prepayment customers that do pay their bills then this will involve a subsidy from poor customers to rich ones. The reason being there is probably a higher proportion of prepayment customers not paying their bills. But it seems wrong to treat this group of customers as one homogenous group, especially when non paying credit meter users are often switched to prepayment meters.

Therefore in my view to ensure poor customers don't subsidise rich ones the proportionate loading to cover the costs arising from non paying customers (both bad debtors and thieves) should be no higher for those actually paying by prepayment meters than for those paying on credit.

For the avoidance of doubt I agree that the aim should first be to recover debts (or thefts) from the non payers themselves (regardless of their type of meter). So I do not object to customers being forced to accept prepayment meters and for those customers to have to pay at a higher rate to pay-off their bad debts. (And in the case of theft, those stealing from utility companies should be prosecuted in the same way as for any other theft.)

NICHOLAS_2

sacsquacco wrote: »

You must have used the debtors card, you need a new one from EDF.They should be asking for proof of tenancy. No best tariff for prepays, you re stuck on their standard/variable tariff which is about the highest.

Glad i moved from them, although the move to Npower was equally bad. with Ebico now, seems like my electric lasts forever

NICHOLAS_2

I'm not poor but choose to use prepay meters because firstly i hate getting bills land on the doormat, secondly theres too much hocus pocus with energy bills and it seems that most people end up paying over the top with their direct debits and end up owed money that they don't get for ages.

With ebico pre payment there is no standing charge.

[Deleted User]

NICHOLAS wrote: »

I'm not poor but choose to use prepay meters because firstly i hate getting bills land on the doormat, secondly theres too much hocus pocus with energy bills and it seems that most people end up paying over the top with their direct debits and end up owed money that they don't get for ages.

With ebico pre payment there is no standing charge.

No we don t pay over the top, we more or less pay the correct monthly direct debit for our yearly usage, and for that we receive an excellent discount of 20/25% on your prepay rates or standard/variable.You must have too much money if you want to blow hundreds of pounds a year messing with inconvenient prepayment meters
.Ebico is strictly for very low or zero users. thanks for the info, I was nt aware they supply for prepayment meters

[Deleted User]

Happens alot where people move into a property with pre-pay meters and think they just carry on topping up with the existing keys/cards without even contacting the suppliers.

t0rt0ise

You don't need a new card unless they say you do. Usually they just change the details at their end. As long as they know the account is in your name now, they can get the debt off the meter and start again. EDF will change the meter for you for a normal credit meter, better to do it now before changing suppliers otherwise it'll take an age.

[Deleted User]

t0rt0ise wrote: »

You don't need a new card unless they say you do. Usually they just change the details at their end. As long as they know the account is in your name now, they can get the debt off the meter and start again. EDF will change the meter for you for a normal credit meter, better to do it now before changing suppliers otherwise it'll take an age.

They need more details than someone phoning them saying they have changed the occupier status. With debts of several thousands of pounds on meters with weekly debt repayments of up to £15 a week per meter any sensible supplier wont take that as evidence. BG are now sending us round to virtually interrogate new occupiers and demand I.D.that they are not linked to to the former debtors and not just claiming new occupier status.
Its now a common ruse for large debtors to claim new occupier status to rid themselves of huge meter debts, at the very least a tenancy agreement copy will be needed before the debts are released from the meters. This sort of fraud is just one of the many that the broken energy market is now sustaining.Its so easy to fraud suppliers like EDF /Scot Power/N.Power who won t spend money on proper RPU..So its yet another avenue where the honest pick up the tab for the fraudsters.I have seen a debt applied as high as 9k on a gas meter and not a chance in hell will any be repaid