electricity supplier, new account and debt collection

tifo

I'll edit this first post as it was a bit long and not clear.

Thanks

macman

I cannot envisage any scenario in which the supplier would allow you 5 years to clear the debt. A year is fairly typical.
You don't say how much you owe now, or whether you are reducing the debt, but wouldn't voluntarily allowing PPM's be the most practical solution to this saga?
I don't think that accessing a meter cabinet outside the house but on your property, would be regarded as criminal trespass, and the supplier would claim that they have the right to inspect it to both read it and for safety purposes.

SAC2334

First thing the OP needs to do is to allow the smart prepayment  meter to be installed. You are collecting £165 in field visits and £60 court application s. 
Firstly a prepayment meter is not any more expensive than a credit meter and any debts are transferred to it for a weekly repay amount which used to be set at a maximum of £16 a week . This repayment used to be usually between £3 and £16 a week depending on the size of the debt . . It may have changed but there is nt a time limit on the weekly repayment..It lasts as long as it take s to clear the debt
I have seen a debt as high as £9000 on a prepay gas meter and £2000 debts are commonplace on prepay meters

Stop denying access to fit the prepay meter for a start because the next step is a bigger debt when  a warrant of access is granted which used to be £150 plus locksmith fees of £100 to access the property to purge the gas if they fit a gas meter .

[Deleted User]

OP - make an appointment with Citizens Advice. They are best placed to review your case and to offer advice on the best way forward.

tifo

SAC2334 said:

Stop denying access to fit the prepay meter for a start because the next step is a bigger debt when  a warrant of access is granted which used to be £150 plus locksmith fees of £100 to access the property to purge the gas if they fit a gas meter .

Eh?

This is an electricity meter on a wall outside the house but within the property grounds.

tifo

I'm now thinking if it's a valid contract .... they admit having to lie because there's no other process in place, which I find hard to believe as i'm not the first customer one of the big 4 would've taken to court. Not trying to get out of paying as i've offered to repay what I can afford but they don't accept it. Everything they do they quote the contract terms.

And they have misused the warrant process to try and deny me a hearing which i've a right to, and sent field agents when there was no need at that time because other actions were done.

I've a mind to take them to court for harassment. I feel i've been treated very badly, esp during my illness when at times I was incapable of dealing with them and still paying the bills.

[Deleted User]

From what I can follow in the wall of text - the supplier has pretty much followed the usual and accepted process.

SAC2334

tifo said:

SAC2334 said:

Stop denying access to fit the prepay meter for a start because the next step is a bigger debt when  a warrant of access is granted which used to be £150 plus locksmith fees of £100 to access the property to purge the gas if they fit a gas meter .

Eh?

This is an electricity meter on a wall outside the house but within the property grounds.

"IF " they fit a gas meter. After 20 years watching prepay meters force fitted the two meters go hand in hand. Once one meter gets force fitted through debt , the other quickly follows.

Its not up to the occupier to "pay what they can afford " the suppliers have a right to apply the rates they think are best  and hundreds of thousands have been doing this on prepay meters for years .

The maximum and minimum repay rates set on prepayment meters are very fair and pretty low IMO and they can take many years to repay . On my retirement they were between £3 and £16 and probably only £8 a week was about standard repay on a debt of up to £1000 . Its a very fair amount 
The OP is making a big mistake arguing and incurring extra debts over the fitting of a prepayment meter .Its to his/her benefit and making demands about trespass is utterly ludicrous. 

SAC2334

tifo said:

I'm now thinking if it's a valid contract .... they admit having to lie because there's no other process in place, which I find hard to believe as i'm not the first customer one of the big 4 would've taken to court. Not trying to get out of paying as i've offered to repay what I can afford but they don't accept it. Everything they do they quote the contract terms.

And they have misused the warrant process to try and deny me a hearing which i've a right to, and sent field agents when there was no need at that time because other actions were done.

I've a mind to take them to court for harassment. I feel i've been treated very badly, esp during my illness when at times I was incapable of dealing with them and still paying the bills.

Please can you stop this nonsense of threats of  "taking them to a court " or stopping a prepayment meter being fitted.

 Hundreds of thousands have gone through this process before you and it nearly always ends in tears and extra costs which are applied to the original debt .

 
You have already incurred £1000 extra fighting something which is not worth fighting over 

.If you initiate a Civil Court small claims you will incur other fees .Others have won these in the past as we have seen on this forum over the years but only when the supplier defaults and does not turn up for the hearing. Npower was one of the  suppliers who did this but your supplier may not  and turn up with a solicitor .

The smart prepayment meters they fit nowadays are preferred by many as the rates are more or less the same as direct debits and if you have economy 7 meters in an electric only property EDF  ( who you can change to ) are applying the cheapest night rates in the UK . There is a list of all the new regional EDF tariffs on here which are applied in a few days time Oct 1 st
You have not said what you can afford to pay weekly but the prepay recovery rates  are more than fair  ( used to be from £3 to £16 a week max ) and you can take years to repay the debt. I don t know of any time limits set on prepay debt recovery 
Do you know how most of other countries deal with these complaints ?, they simply cut the supply off something which the suppliers are very reluctant do do. 
As advised , go for a chat with Citizens Advice, I d be very surprised if they don t say the same as me 

macman

OP, context is everything here. But nowhere in that great spiel have you actually told us how big the debt is?
You keep saying you have 'tried to pay', but been refused. What was to stop you simply making a cheque, cash or debit card payment to the value of your choice to your account, any time you wish?
Are you still making payments to cover ongoing usage, or is your debt increasing?

tifo

macman said:

OP, context is everything here. But nowhere in that great spiel have you actually told us how big the debt is?

You keep saying you have 'tried to pay', but been refused. What was to stop you simply making a cheque, cash or debit card payment to the value of your choice to your account, any time you wish?

Are you still making payments to cover ongoing usage, or is your debt increasing?

Debt is a few thousand inc the charges. Ongoing usage is paid, and I was paying what I can afford for the arrears but because they never agree they always debt collect.

At a time some years ago, I was paying to the 2 accounts.