SSE Threatening Debt recovery Action rather than responding to a Complaint

Jayaneric

I am not really sure how much this has helped, it would appear that generaly you are in agreement with SSE calculations, which is somewhat disheartening, but I will examine everything that has been said in order to decide what my best course of action can now be. My original question was whether there is any guidance about SSE pursuing a debt recovery process rather than respond to concerns about the accuracy of a bill. If there is any legal advice or guidance out there to challenge their process. Does any body have a copy of  there debt recovery process. I notice there is something for SSE water, I don't know if it is transferable. I want to avoid my neighbour having to go through an unpleasant debt recovery action.

MWT

The most useful guidance has already been given, if you feel the bill is wrong then you need to have your neighbour file a written complaint which should stop the debt recovery process while the complaint is investigated.

Check this link for what SSE say about payment problems:

https://sse.co.uk/help/bills-and-paying/trouble-paying-your-bills

... and do look at the PDF linked towards the bottom of the page.

However all of this is only really useful if there is a mistake and I suspect we can determine that very easily if you would just tell us the balance shown on the statement that covers up to the 26th March 2020.

The pattern of payments seems to show that she pays on receipt of the statement rather than by DD but hasn't actually made a payment since October '20 which hasn't helped, and wasn't providing regular meter readings either.

They will be happy to arrange a payment plan if payment in full isn't practical, but let's try and get you to a point where you know for sure, and can explain why the bill is right, or clearly be able to show it is wrong...

[Deleted User]

Jayaneric said:

I am not really sure how much this has helped, it would appear that generaly you are in agreement with SSE calculations, which is somewhat disheartening, but I will examine everything that has been said in order to decide what my best course of action can now be. My original question was whether there is any guidance about SSE pursuing a debt recovery process rather than respond to concerns about the accuracy of a bill. If there is any legal advice or guidance out there to challenge their process. Does any body have a copy of  there debt recovery process. I notice there is something for SSE water, I don't know if it is transferable. I want to avoid my neighbour having to go through an unpleasant debt recovery action.

I cannot believe that things have got so far without your neighbour being aware that there was a problem. The debt recovery process is a matter for each supplier. I am not aware of any Licence Conditions that require suppliers to publish their debt recovery procedures. The situation only becomes unpleasant if the customer fails to respond. If you are disputing the amount owed, then the way forward is to write a formal letter of complaint outlining why you believe that the amount claimed is incorrect. The supplier then has 8 weeks to respond. Recovery action should be put on hold. 

If you disagree with the supplier’s review of the complaint, then there is the Energy Ombudsman. That said, a Decision that goes in the supplier’s failure just strengthens its case. All that said, in most cases if there is a debt outstanding and the customer doesn’t pay up, the default position is usually a prepayment meter. Very few claims end up with a debt collector at the door.

Jayaneric

Lots of information to process. You're all right, she hasn't helped her self by not keeping records etc, so its hard corner to fight. i don't have any more figures, balances or readings other than I have given you. I am going to do my best to support her as she is very anxious and entirely initmidated by the systems ranged against her. I'll  do what I can .Thank you for your contributions.

Robin9

The Smart meter will result in accurate bills for her.

What you can do now is to explore alternative suppliers and tariffs for her.

welshmoneylover

The Sse bill is correct; you need to establish how she paid the bills, check her statements especially if she paid by DD; she had a catch up bill and if she is going to be taken down the legal route she has been receiving communication for a while from them; she really need to sort this out with your help if you can 

MWT

SSE do allow quarterly payment on receipt of the statement and it looks like that is what she was doing right up until she paid the September statement in early October '20.

Unfortunately she wasn't providing meter readings hence the larger bill.

I hope she gets to understand that she is not being mistreated, but she really does owe the amount they are claiming.

niktheguru

So she’s not made a payment to sse in 9 months, has not taken any meter readings and now an accurate catch-up bill has been issued you/she has refused to pay it. I’m not surprised sse have mentioned debt collection.

this could easily be sorted by making some payments towards the bill and checking the figures. Like others have said, this looks like a case of quarterly bills which are paid upon receipt of bill, now with a large catch-up bill that needs paying but the owner isn’t paying.

Robin9

@Jayaneric

You need to ask your neighbour

Did she pay the January bill?

Did she pay the April bill ?