Utility Bill Issues

SailorJerry

Hi,

In 2013 I received a default from a utility company for unpaid bills. I continued to live at the property but didn't speak to them again until 2015. At this point I pulled my head out the sand and faced my issues, paid off the default and money owing for the period from after the default to the time I called them. I have been clean on my credit since then and during this period it was just them I didn't pay (i'm an idiot).


I am trying to understand how defaults for my period of no contact works - one was issued in 2013 but obviously I was accruing further utility bills until I took a hold of things. Should these further missed payments feed into the original default (so it gets bigger) or should they be further individual defaults on my credit file? To me it was all part of the same issue and between 2013 and 15 there was no contact from me although I am sure they sent me letters.


Is it right that they can default me on separate dates for the same ongoing bill or should this all be one default linked to 2013.


I am not trying to get out of anything - I didn't pay the bill, I own that and if I have to have a default on my account for 6 years from when I finally settled in 2015 then so be it - I have no one to blame but myself, I am keen to ensure that the correct procedure has been followed for reporting though.


Thanks

Willing2Learn

Hi SailorJerry and welcome to the forum

As far as I am aware, you can only have the one default marked for one credit account. The default should be marked from when you were 3-6 months in arrears, (back in 2013 I would have thought). The default then stays on your file for six years from the date of default.

SailorJerry

Thanks - they are indicating to me that every three months a new default was issued for the new unpaid bill rather than the original default increasing in value- this doesn't seem to tie in with what I'm reading and not sure how to go about fixing it. I don't want to make things worse.

Willing2Learn

If it were me, I would write to them, making an official complaint. If I were to get no joy after complaining, then I would escalate the matter to the FOS (Financial Ombudsmen Service) and ICO (Information Commissioners Office).

[Deleted User]

They can run the default all the way through.

It will still drop off your files from the date of the first default

SailorJerry

So the whole thing should drop off from the first default date? They are indicating that each quarter was a new default and so the last one won't drop off until 6 years after 2016

[Deleted User]

First default date