Shell and debt

Mstty

This may also help when She'll come back to you. £60 arrears a reasonable amount would be £10 a month for the next 6 months but have a read below.

As you will get the £150 council tax rebate either automatically or by applying that should easily cover this and maybe put the rest away for winter energy costs if you can.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/getting-help-if-you-cant-afford-your-energy-bills

Gerry1

TGB2022 said:

I do not get warm home discount, no. I have always lived hand to mouth but never gone into debt before now.

Registrations for the next Warm Home Discount schemes should start relatively soon.  Keep an eye out and you may well qualify for £150 (was £140).  Shell were one of the participating companies last time.

More urgently, register NOW for the Priority Services Register.

It sounds like you're set up with Pay On Receipt of Bill (aka Cash / Cheque).  If so, that's likely to be the most expensive way to pay, so that's compounding the problem.  Direct Debit is likely to be noticeably cheaper.

TGB2022

Mstty said:

This may also help when She'll come back to you. £60 arrears a reasonable amount would be £10 a month for the next 6 months but have a read below.

tbh, i knew that my SO would cover the costs of the arrears once i stopped using heating and hopefully with the other energy minimisation tactics i am doing. but what i am trying to understand is can shell farm out the debt without speaking to me about it first? it seems wrong that they have done it. i have been on hold to CAB for 15 mins but they say no one can speak to me. currently on hold with debt line, but also no one picking up. 

TGB2022

Gerry1 said:

Registrations for the next Warm Home Discount schemes should start relatively soon.  Keep an eye out and you may well qualify for £150 (was £140).  Shell were one of the participating companies last time.

More urgently, register NOW for the PSR

It sounds like you're set up with Pay On Receipt of Bill (aka Cash / Cheque).  If so, that's likely to be the most expensive way to pay, so that's compounding the problem.  Direct Debit is likely to be noticeably cheaper.

my income is too low to do a DD with a variable rate tariff. i just can't cover it when it is high (winter) and i would get overdrawn and face fees from my bank.

i am going to try to get an advocate from mind to deal with shell for me as their actions have seriously aggravated my disability. feel very unwell atm.

TGB2022

wow, CAB won't answer my question (????????) and step change won't help me because i am self employed. does anyone know of another debt helpline? i just need to know if a company can farm a debt out to a credit company without speaking to a customer first.

luvchocolate

Business Debtline 

victor2

TGB2022 said:

Gerry1 said:

Registrations for the next Warm Home Discount schemes should start relatively soon.  Keep an eye out and you may well qualify for £150 (was £140).  Shell were one of the participating companies last time.

More urgently, register NOW for the PSR

It sounds like you're set up with Pay On Receipt of Bill (aka Cash / Cheque).  If so, that's likely to be the most expensive way to pay, so that's compounding the problem.  Direct Debit is likely to be noticeably cheaper.

my income is too low to do a DD with a variable rate tariff. i just can't cover it when it is high (winter) and i would get overdrawn and face fees from my bank.

i am going to try to get an advocate from mind to deal with shell for me as their actions have seriously aggravated my disability. feel very unwell atm.

You could also try your local Age UK for some help. They certainly used to have staff who could help with such matters and benefits in general. You don't have to be a certain age to get help either, although they are used to dealing with more senior people. 

pochase

The first thing you need to do is check your real energy use. The £60 you were paying is enough for many here to do have a normal, but low energy use without living as you describe it.

£60 on old SVT was enough to cover 140KWh of electricity and 375KWh of Gas including standing charges. You were saying you did not use heating at all, but what about hot water?

Same for electricity, a fridge freezer with a good energy certificate is less than 30KWh per month, so where does your energy go if you really hardly use anything else.

Do you submit regular meter readings or you maybe charged on estimates? If you have the meter readings can you please post one for the beginning of winter and your latest one?

You are aware that with the new CAP rates your situation will get even worse? if You now use £70 during winter it will be more like £100+ next winter.

TGB2022

luvchocolate said:

Business Debtline 

it's not a business debt, it's my home energy bill.

victor2. will try.

TGB2022

pochase said:

You are aware that with the new CAP rates your situation will get even worse? if You now use £70 during winter it will be more like £100+ next winter.

yes, thanks for pointing out how much worse this is going to get for people like me. very helpful. just what i needed.