Advice re warrant for prepayment meter

chesca05

Anyone around for a bit of advice? I received a letter from british gas at the beginning of last week informing me that they had got a warrant to install a prepayment meter at my home on 20th april stating they would force entry & change the locks as I owed them #283 (one reason & another I hadn't paid them for a while, I think my bill was only for #150 but the rest was charges) So after a lot of panicking and moving money around I made payment on friday 15th for the full #283 as that was what it said on the letter needed to be paid to stop it happening.
So I just assumed the payment had gone through and I'd receive some kind of correspondence from them, which I haven't up to now, and it just dawned on me 20 mins ago that tomorrow is the 20th so I though I'd just double check on my online BG account that the payment is showing but when I logged on it was still showing a debit of #56? I went to the bill section and my payment is showing but on the day I made the payment they've added this miscellaneous adjustment of #56? It doesn't state what it's for or why it's been added & I'm now worrying that they're going to use that as an excuse to come and break into my house tomorrow or whatever it is they do to install a meter still?
I'm completely freaking out as I can't be at home as I've got an exam in the morning, I don't want them to install a prepayment meter when I've paid & I definitely don't want them entering my home when I'm not here

HappyMJ

If you've paid what was requested...the £283 they will not install a prepayment meter.

The £56 charges will be for you to sort out when you get the next bill. It's the application for warrant charge.

See https://www.britishgas.co.uk/content/dam/british-gas/about%20us/pdfs/lots_of_ways_to_pay.pdf

£56 – to apply for a warrant to come into your property

If they had carried out the warrant it would have cost you another £150.

cing0

If I was in this situation, I'd go to the hearing and oppose it.
It appears many times the warrant applications don't go ahead or are thrown out because the bill payer turns up.
One thing is for sure if you don't attend a court case you lose and in my experience, the other side will lie (and can) as no one is there to contest simple facts and inaccuracies.
I don't know if its been mentioned in these forums but suppliers and their agents also use tricks like applying for warrant at a magistrates court upto 20 miles from the supply address when there is a court round the corner. They can do this (or think they can) with the wording 'local justice area' on the human rights letter.
My advise to anyone reading this would be to email the evidence to the Sheriff or magistrates court (and the energy co) before the hearing showing you have paid etc and point this out to the magistrates (its usually a district judge who hears them in England and Wales).
Have a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIT20FrOFv4