Energy news in general

brewerdave

pochase said:

I agree with disconnection not being legal, but I don't see a problem to switch somebody who will not pay from credit to prepaid and to recover the debt this way.

Purely theoretical as I can't see mass non payment happening (unless the cap goes to some horrendous level !)- but would the Companies do that when there are still millions of customers on analogue meters ? For those without smart meters they would have to apply for warrants to fit pre-pay first. 

pochase

Would make sense for me to do this, they would recover part of their money and they would send a signal that they are serious about going after the people refusing to pay. 

molerat

Rough gas storage site could be open by autumn

but .................

  ........ ministers are still in talks with Centrica about possible financial support to help it reopen. That could see a levy added to consumer bills, deepening the cost of living crisis.

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/britain-biggest-gas-storage-course-124002692.html

molerat

And the law of unintended consequences .........................

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/poll-tax-style-protests-over-110455957.html

A planned payment strike by consumers over soaring energy bills could force regulator Ofgem to raise the price cap higher than current predictions.

savers_united

A protest like this is unlikely to work for the majority, those on pre pay meters have to pay up front. Those on credit meters who do not pay after the October rise are just going to build a mountain of debt, and will be black marked by energy companies,  when all this passes will be stuck and struggling to find any decent deals or forced to fit a pre pay at some point which adds to the cost. Those on smart meters are at risk of being cut off, or legislation being passed to allow this to happen. 

If you continue to use energy whilst not intending to pay then its theft, for the majority its just not worth getting issues on your credit file for. 

Ultrasonic

molerat said:

And the law of unintended consequences .........................

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/poll-tax-style-protests-over-110455957.html

A planned payment strike by consumers over soaring energy bills could force regulator Ofgem to raise the price cap higher than current predictions.

Going by that link Martin seems to be giving unwarranted publicity to a very small group of people. 

tghe-retford

I suspect either legislation will be passed quickly before October once the new PM is in power to allow the enforcement of payment of energy bills in the same way as Council Tax - well beyond the involvement of bailiffs and enforcement officers. Or we will see fast-tracking of credit users being placed on pre-payment meters.

There is no way the Government under pressure from energy companies and Ofgem will simply dismiss non-payment as a civil issue. When civil disobedience takes hold and the authority of the state or large business is threatened, Government who are normally slow and bureaucratic will suddenly do the opposite and react very swiftly, in a draconian way with no tolerance or mercy. We face a potential dangerous legal precedence if this protest goes ahead because it won't end with energy bills.

QrizB

savers_united said:

Those on smart meters are at risk of being cut off

Smart meters can be remotely switched from credit mode to pre-pay. There is no need to disconnect them.

Sea_Shell

QrizB said:

savers_united said:

Those on smart meters are at risk of being cut off

Smart meters can be remotely switched from credit mode to pre-pay. There is no need to disconnect them.

But how long would it be before they actually cut you off.   Don't they let quite a large debit balance build up on them before power actually goes off?    If you keep just topping up by a little bit, and "resetting" the emergency credit?

Don't we hear of new tenants unwittingly paying of the debt of a previous one, if they don't get a new "key" registered?

Or is that only standing charges that are allowed to accrue, and will the power actually go off before then.

What is the actual process, and how long does that process take?

At the end of the day, people can't pay what they genuinely don't have.   Which isn't necessarily the "protesters" position!!

pochase

They asking people to not pay at all, not to reduce their payments to the level they can afford.

If people cancel their debit orders and not contact the supplier about why, the supplier still needs to contact them, but I doubt that a we are protesting and will not even pay what we have paid before the increases will be very successful.

In addition to this in my eyes it is very stupid to register your intend not to pay on the website, showing the people who signed for the protest on street level. Yes no proof, but very much a indication when somebody does not pay if there are people signed up in his street address.

What I find disturbing is that people are not advised to put money aside to pay at least what would need to be paid after a successful outcome of the protest. Or do they really think energy will be free for all in future?