Eon threatening to cut off electric soon if money isn't paid

lohr500

Does he live in a terrace or semi detached house? Just wondering if someone has set up a crypto mining data server or cannabis farm next door and has tapped into his electricity supply?! 

As suggested by others, a sanity check should be the 1st thing to do.
Switch off all appliances and see if the meter still continues to clock up at a vast rate.

If it does, then start switching of the breakers or pulling the fuses in the main fuse box, one at a time to see which circuit is drawing the power. That will help narrow down the problem.  

Robin9

I have asked mse to merge - just press thr report button

Gerry1

After dark, switch all the circuits off at the fuse box / consumer unit and see whether any neighbours' lights go out !

Robin9

Has your uncle bought any new appliances in the last few months or changed how he lives -  eg uses electric convector heater instead of the main gas heating

mrsg1990

Sorry, for not being on top of this...

My husband's uncle is in his 80s, and only contacted us a few days ago about his bills again..he lives 70 miles away, we don't drive, I'm disabled and he's hard to get ahold of. We have offered to go to his house and look at his meter, but he initially aggrees then says no (embarrassed about the state of the house), I've contacted the police to do a welfare check, adult social services to do a care act assessment, the local council, CAB and provided information for drop in sessions at his local library. He's turned all help down. He's very difficult to engage with, but gets in contact when he gets a electric bill and realises how much money is being taken from his account. He doesn't have online banking, and I'm not sure if he keeps an eye on his bank as April's direct debit was roughly £460 and the May bill was the first we'd seen since last October (someone has re posted the photos above), it now shows just over £2000 debt on the account. I'm not sure if he is or was aware that this debt was accuring. He only got in contact when he saw that May's bill for the units used was £260.

Prior to this, in October we intervened and spoke to eon next to have the meter checked on the 19.12.22, and we confirmed with uncle that this had happened, and that was that, we heard nothing else from him. He has no internet or home phone, he has a mobile phone but only turns it on to make phone calls. We have written to him as it's a faster way of reaching him than trying to phone him. Prior to him contacting us in October, it was common for him to see or contact us once every 2-3 years as he travels to Thailand a lot. 

mrsg1990

Electrician is going on Monday to check the appliances, according to uncle, nothing has changed...we are trying our best to help him, but as I've said he declines help, doesn't get back in contact, we've written to him asking about the meter check, and heard nothing. My husband offered last year in October to go to the house and stay over and try to sort it all out, but was told by his uncle that wasn't necessary as eon were coming to a check and that would sort the billing problem out

mrsg1990

He has form for telling us about problems (rats, loneliness, house being in a poor state) and we've asked him to sell the house and move closer to us, we've even applied for sheltered housing a mile away, contacted his local council pest control ect...he then turns the help down, we don't hear from him for a while until the next crisis...

Robin9

Lets try and summarise

The uncle has gas heating and water heating

As at the end of Oct 22   he was £294.93 in debt (apparently not having paid his previous bill); his predicted annual cost was £1073.49 - that's a little on the high side but unexpected for an elderly person at home. ; he paid his bill monthly on receipt of bill. The meter read  was 8855 - Smart meter

By April the meter read was 17882.

Something dramatic has happened within 6 months.

cm4ever

@mrsg1990 unfortunately if he doesn't want to be helped/or accept help for whatever reason, there's very little you can actually do if he's got all his faculties etc.... all you can be is a sympathetic ear.

Social services/the police can do a welfare check but can't intervene as you've found out.

Unfortunately you'll have to wait for him to decide he wants your help and when he does, you've already been given good advice on what to check and the method to use.

It's an incredibly difficult situation to be in and you have all my sympathy.

Robin9

Could you put a letter into post to your uncles address for the attn of the electrician who is going next Monday and ask him to ring you ?

Report on what he finds - appliances , wiring, meter reads etc