Isupply illegally forced entry to fit PPM...what can I do

Edinburgh_88

Hi,

I have had an ongoing issue with isupply for over a year. The outstanding debt originally sat at around £1200 which was accrued when my ex-partner said he was paying electricity, but was not. He left, and I found out about this late/early 2017/2018. I paid off £500, so it is sitting at £750.

I claim universal credit. After doing budget/expenditures with isupply and getting very conflicting results, one person telling me I had £700 spare per month, another telling me I was in deficit each month, I pushed on with third party deductions, and I have not missed a standing order to pay for current consumption.

1 year later, and Grosvenor, the debt collection agency hired by isupply forced entry into my house yesterday..y children and I came home from work/nursery to find a letter on the radiator with no explanation other than the amount of debt outstanding. The last time I'd heard from Grosvenor was in December, when they sent a letter declaring they would apply for warrant of entry if I didn't contact them.i did. And since then I have heard nothing at all, no letters, phone calls, email, text, nothing on my online journal. Court date was apparently on 5th March, six days before entry.

For the last year isupply have claimed they have tried to submit a form to HMRC three times and had nothing in return. HMRC claim, and I believe them as they have zero vested interest, that they have had zero communication from isupply. So I have been stuck in the middle.

Isupply have consistently lied to me: there was no option for debt collection on UC47 form, so HMRC sent me the form to show me isupply were lying about this, they told me I had to submit the form, they told me they'd tried to phone HMRC and that no one picked up, they accused HMRC of lying, today they told me the monthly standing order did not cover my full usage, then said it did. The treatment has been horrendous.

I have applied to the court for a court extract. I have had nothing in writing to inform of what was happening. No attempt has been made my isupply to resolve this. I simply want to pay for my usage via standing order, and pay for the debt via third party deductions, I don't know why it has got to this point. Can anyone advise please?

PennineAcute

Unfortunately, it is now done. I cannot see how making formal complaints, or anything else, will get you back your credit meters.

Your standing order which you said were paying and not missed? Was this just covering your usage, or was it for usage and debt?

[Deleted User]

occupier can check the weekly repay rate on screen 26, with the total debt on screen 27. Press the blue button ( if this is the type of meter they have installed ) with the key inserted to see the debt screens. If you think the weekly rate is too high ( about £8 a week is normal for £750 ) then you can ask them to lower the weekly amount
You can check the kwh tariff on one of the screens and it should be cheaper than the one you were paying on a credit meter. Prepay rates have been capped at a lower rate than standard variable rates.
I do not think that any supplier accepts payments by a fixed standing order. They need to be able to raise or lower the monthly/quarterly amount to adjust to your usage
Bulb now do electric prepays at only 12.4 p /kwh..This is about the cheapest rate for electric in the UK inc credit meters on fixed deals.As soon as you can get the debt down to £500 get switching around..Even BG are only 13 p/kwh..Nothing at all to be feared from prepays at the moment.
BG prepay gas is only 3.26p/kwh + 27p dsc..cheapest gas in the uk .Prepays are the cheapest at the moment

Edinburgh_88

I spoke to the debt collection team. Had spoken with them throughout this whole façade.

They tell me they sent a letter out on 12th February, which I categorically did NOT receive. The court was on 5th March. The company said they did not send out any further information. Isupply have instructed the debt collection organisation to direct any enquiry I have straight to them.

So they forced entry 6 days after court. No letter sent out after court.

All this time, all I simply want is to repay the debt via third party deductions.

The standing order covered current usage, and no payments have been missed since this was set up at all. Isupply did say during the first phonecall with CAB today that one had been missed, then admitted this hadn't happened.

PennineAcute

Trouble is, if the standing order was only for usage, then nothing has been paid towards debt - not for the want of trying. That is probably why isupply escalated and unfortunately, after a court order, nothing can be done (well, which is within the means of the average man on the street anyway)

Michaelw

Edinburgh_88 wrote: »

Court date was apparently on 5th March, six days before entry.

Thats where you made a mistake,you should have attended that hearing and put forward a repayment plan.

On prepayment meters your under an energy cap in some cases there might be a decrease in tariff,forcing entry is a controversial last resort and a court should know and take into accout a case by case basis and that entry in all likelyhood been avoided.

PennineAcute

Michaelw wrote: »

Thats where you made a mistake,you should have attended that hearing and put forward a repayment plan.

On prepayment meters your under an energy cap in some cases there might be a decrease in tariff,forcing entry is a controversial last resort and a court should know and take into accout a case by case basis and that entry in all likelyhood been avoided.

Bit difficult if the OP is adamant they knew nothing about the court date.

fatbelly

It's not a hearing as such. It's an application to the Magistrates Court for a warrant to force entry.

These always go through on the nod.

Thomas_Edison

Best bet is talking to citizens advice and raising a complaint with isupply, then after 8 weeks or a deadlock letter hope that the ombudsman rule in your favour. Only path I can see back to credit meters

Thomas_Edison

If you do stay on prepay meters, once your debt is below £500 they can't stop you switching away

Edinburgh_88

Thanks everyone. Spent four hours at CAB today. I knew nothing of court date, nor action as no one wrote out to me.
I applied in writing to sheriff court for a court extract and details of the case and will email a solicitor this week. I would have very much valued a day in court to get this resolved.
Although I haven't, since paying £500 off, paid anything towards debt, only usage, I have been trying to have this taken off via third party deductions, so it just comes straight off universal credit.

It seems to me that PPM are a loss for everyone, I am paying more for electricity, and isupply have a longer repayment term.