Missed Payment - Wasn't aware I had!

BankingOff

I had an update on my credit file today to say that I'd missed a payment for my water, I'd been trying on and off for a year to get registered on my providers site but it never worked and I arranged with them that I'd pay monthly when they sent me a bill.   Reason being the house was previously unoccupied and after discussion with the agent it was agreed I'd be underpaying in a DD so would make more sense to make regular payments manually to increase as needed.

I recently contacted them asking why my bill had increased and was told that due to more usage than estimated I owed extra to make up the shortfall, this would carry on for a couple of months then return to normal.  Ok I thought, no worries.

Today after seeing a missed payment on my credit file I rang up to query this, and was told that wasn't the case and I owed because of a miss payment!  I was mortified and told I had to fork out £250+ to clear it.  I could not believe the amount.   I informed them that I pay when they send me a letter, as per our agreement, but was told that isn't the case, I shouldn't have been told that the increase was temporary and that I should have been paying earlier than the letters.  I can't really complain I guess, but I don't understand how a year went by with no issue and suddenly there is an a massive bill?  Why was I not informed of this MASSIVE underpayment before?

Is there anything I can do with the utility company to try and wave that missed payment they say is on my file?  My debt is fully cleared and I have since set up a DD.

Nasqueron

The only things you could do are either speak to the company and appeal to their softer side about the impact of the missed payment (though in reality it will be minimal particularly longer term) and/or a formal complaint based on what they told you causing this missed payment. Otherwise no, it's a factual representation of what happened in their eyes.