£7K in debt to Eon....oh dear!

Nomad_Stan

Hi there, 

So before I start this, I am first to accept the folly of my situation. I work away alot, it slipped my mind to set up my bills and my girlfriend who checks in on my house sorts the mail, she gets rid of anything that isn't directly addressed to myself so I've never come across any "sign up" letters or the like.

Well this has been just under 1 and a half years and I finally had a guy at my door the other week with a bill from Eon. I've set up an account and they're after just over £7K for the past year and 4 month....I've given readings and calling on Monday as I think it's abit much and discuss, needless to say I haven't got a spare £7K at hand. 

Am I totally screwed?

Thank you for any and all help/advice in advance.

Nomad.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

I don't think you've helped yourself but presumably you have a meter reading that you took when you first became responsible for the energy costs.

So that might be a starting point to see how accurate the "bill" is.  Estimates are commonplace with energy bills so just because it's says 7k doesn't mean it's accurate.

But in view of your lack of engagement with this aspect of your finances be prepared for having been on poor value tariffs, compared to what you could have chosen had you been actively managing things.

CSI_Yorkshire

You're unlikely to get much sympathy from the company in terms of reduction or hardship - and there's a bit of a difference between "slipped my mind to set up bills" and "didn't notice that I hadn't paid any energy bill for 16 months".

D_a_C is right - find out the actual bill before agreeing anything (if this was based on estimates), but it sounds like you're already doing that?

You'll have just been on the standard variable (price cap) tariff throughout.

Now you're engaging with the supplier, I would expect that they can agree a repayment plan for the outstanding amount - extra on your direct debit for 12 or 24 months to pay it off sometimes happens.

£7k for 16 months is pretty high usage too, if that's a correct bill then you could probably make some big usage savings.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

£7k for 16 months is pretty high usage too, if that's a correct bill then you could probably make some big usage savings.

Particularly as it seems the property wasn't being used for fair periods of time!

I work away alot, it slipped my mind to set up my bills and my girlfriend who checks in on my house

Sea_Shell

Has anyone been living in the house, full time?  Sounds like not, if girlfriend checking and picking up post.

So unlikely, even on standard tariff, to have clocked up £7k in, what 18 months or so.

Unless an immersion heater has been left on 24/7, or something else that's power hungry.

Opening reads are critical here.   Hope you have them.

Is it for gas, electric or both?

HampshireH

Sounds like it could be a continuation of the former owners account and debt?

Take some time to really concentrate on getting all the info from eon and to eon. Starting with proper meter readings.

Robin9

Nomad_Stan said:

. addressed to myself so I've never come across any "sign up" letters or the like. '.........................

You don't actually sign-up" for anything these days - it's all done over the phone.

If you've also only just contacted E.on    you will have missed out on the government money -  £150 and the £66/67 payments.


as D&C above  -  have you got the meter readings when you moved in ?   and todays ?    Your only hope might be if they are Smart meters -  are they ?

Scot_39

Nomad_Stan said:

Hi there, 

So before I start this, I am first to accept the folly of my situation. I work away alot, it slipped my mind to set up my bills and my girlfriend who checks in on my house sorts the mail, she gets rid of anything that isn't directly addressed to myself so I've never come across any "sign up" letters or the like.

Well this has been just under 1 and a half years and I finally had a guy at my door the other week with a bill from Eon. I've set up an account and they're after just over £7K for the past year and 4 month....I've given readings and calling on Monday as I think it's abit much and discuss, needless to say I haven't got a spare £7K at hand. 

Am I totally screwed?

Thank you for any and all help/advice in advance.

Nomad.

Sorry, but letters and bills addressed to the (new) occupier from a supplier like a utility company are "defacto" addressed to you.

If you forget EOn what about water, gas, phone, council tax etc.

Because until you or more rarely your landlord/leasing agent give them your details, they don't have your name.

And there certainly normally would have been some.

Assuming that is the previous occupier notified them of the termination of their contract.

If they didn't provide correct readings you may find some of that debt isn't even yours.

£7000 in 16 months isn't a "regularly empty" home bill level, unless you were leaving heating and hot water on high settings in a fairly large property all year round..

Epg tdcv (2-3bed, 2-3 people for duel fuel iirc) cap was £2500 - per annum - £3333 over 16months you are talking double that - for partially empty.

Dig through old records for move in readings - if bills were giing in your name - owner or majority of tennancies - you should have taken them.

If dont have check with landlord or leasing agents if renting - they may have records if took bills over temporarily if vacant for a while.

And check current readings against EOns bills.

But you will be liable, as its not a mistake on EOns part, if you allowed girlfriend to throw away your mail.  And even if there was no such mail, it doesn't exclude your legal responsibility to set up a supply contract for the services you have been consuming from day 1 in the form of SC if not units even if empty.

bluelad1927

For a bill to amount  to 7k it must also have  slipped your mind to turn the heating off. As others have said it is way beyond average use so whatever the outcome I'd be amazed if your actual debt is 7k

Chrysalis

Did you do the basic thing such as informing supplier you have moved in to property? else this could be an old debt from someone else tagged on to your time at the address.

Was sloppy from yourself, and you may not be liable for the full debt, but given the slack approach this is going to be harder than it needs to be.

The first thing is to get details of how the 7k has been billed, billing date's, readings etc.

dunstonh

Thank you for any and all help/advice in advance.

help and advice is going to be difficult for us to give without more information.

i.e. firstly, do you know if the £7000 is based on actual meter readings or estimates?

£7,000 is high.   It's easily achievable with some high use items and it is both heating and other electrical (inefficient heat pump, EV,  lots of lighting - spotlights, external lighting, incandescent bulbs.   Large open area in the house - barn conversion for example).         You could also be on the wrong tariff.  For example, being on a single rate tariff if your heating is meant for multi-rate or being on multi-rate when you have very little off peak energy use.

Seeing as the property appears to be vacant a lot of the time, the figure seems extremely high.   Are things being left on whilst you are away?

When you buy or move into a house, the first thing you do is take a meter reading and give it to the existing supplier (Eon in this case).   This is treated as your opening read.   Did you give an opening read?  if not, you could be finding yourself liable for some of the previous owner/tenant.

When discussing anything with a supplier, it tends to be based on the units used.   So, be prepared to talk their language. That means knowing your meter readings and understanding your use.   Talking in £ doesn't achieve anything as the monetary amount is a multiplier of the units of energy used.    You need to understand your usage if you want to put an argument to them.