Late payments on credit file with N-power account

Browny0099

Hello

Looking for abit of advice from people that are alittle more clued up on this then I am!

Back in 2014 I lost my job and in August 2014 fell into appears with my N-power account, I stupidly buried my head in sand and didn't correct it straight away. I got back into full time work 9-10 months later and phoned them to arrange a payment plan which they agreed to.

I assumed they'd have default me but I never checked this out, I just wanted to start clearing the debt which i finally settled in December 2018.

I recently checked my credit file and noticed they didn't default me but marked the account as 6 months late from 2014 - December 2018 when it was settled and closed, so the account is due to drop from my credit file December 2024.

Am I right in thinking I'd have been better of them defaulting me?

Is it normal practice not to default people after 6 months?

I just feel like this debt is gonna end up affecting me for 10+ years which is obviously fair enough but then I read on here that people get clean credit files after 6 years when they are defaulted accounts.

Any advice on this would be much appreciated

Thanks

Willing2Learn

From what you've said, it appears you were approximately 6 months in arrears when you agreed a payment plan. Unfortunately, the payment plan did not bring your account back up-to-date.

You could politely ask N-Power to backdate a default on your account, back to when you were 3-6 months in arrears. This would be in accordance with guidance, although N-Power is not obliged to comply

[Deleted User]

They’re not obligated to default the account.

Are the payments definitely marked as late or as arrangements?

Browny0099

I contacted them today to find out more because I wasn't sure how late I was, they said I was 9 months and 2 weeks late when I arranged the payment plan. I didn't ask them if they'd consider defaulting the account instead because I don't know what to do for the best. I just always assumed you get defaulted after 6 months

Browny0099

I'm sure sure if I'm honest, they are marked with the status code 6 with the balance. doesn't say anything about arrangements

Willing2Learn

The problem is that you entered into an informal payment plan.

Tell N-Power that this arrangement has unfortunately placed you in disadvantageous position. If the account had been defaulted in 2014-15, when you were 3-6 months in arrears, then the account would be removed from your credit file sometime during 2020/1. The payment plan means the account and its negative markers will now show on your file until 2024, meaning you have been penalised for having made the arrangement.

Explain the above to N-Power when you ask them to backdate a default...

boo_star

Willing2Learn wrote: »

From what you've said, it appears you were approximately 6 months in arrears when you agreed a payment plan. Unfortunately, the payment plan did not bring your account back up-to-date.

You could politely ask N-Power to backdate a default on your account, back to when you were 3-6 months in arrears. This would be in accordance with guidance, although N-Power is not obliged to comply

It's not that clear.

They would need to be 3-6 months worth of payments in arrears, not just being late for 6 months in a row.

It's not clear if the OP was paying anything although I would imagine that it's unlikely they'd get away with not paying for 10 months without being cut off/stuck on a repayment meter long before that point.

[Deleted User]

Exactly - you arranged a payment plan.

So although you were behind you were making arranged payments.

Browny0099

boo_star wrote: »

It's not that clear.

They would need to be 3-6 months worth of payments in arrears, not just being late for 6 months in a row.

It's not clear if the OP was paying anything although I would imagine that it's unlikely they'd get away with not paying for 10 months without being cut off/stuck on a repayment meter long before that point.

The information I received from n-power today was the last payment they received was August 2014 I then set the payment plan up in June 2015 and I closed the account down at the same time due to leaving the property.

boo_star

Browny0099 wrote: »

The information I received from n-power today was the last payment they received was August 2014 I then set the payment plan up in June 2015 and I closed the account down at the same time due to leaving the property.

I'm really surprised they let you go that long without paying.

Browny0099

I'm surprised as well, it was a very dark period in my life so I really can't recall much of it. I just wanted to know if it should have been defaulted. Not that it makes a difference, they didn't really sound very interested in changing anything when speaking to them today