Huge Ovo debt

alligator58

Just before lockdown I answered the door to a caller who wanted me to save money by changing my energy providers I said I couldn’t as my bills were paid by fuel direct from my benefits as I have had mental health and mobility problems . She assured me everything would stay the same if I changed my mind I could go back to British Gas and Swalec but I would be saving a lot of money by swapping l I don’t even answer the door normally and I wish I never had as it ruined my life 
To cut it short the new company would NOT 
accept fuel Direct payments and the debts started building after I fell into depression and further letters went unopened . I ended up to date owing each company I was returned to ,  not the old companies as they couldn’t accept me back but now Eon next for Gas and OVO for electricity £ 4,000 each . I am so ashamed but terrified too . I am totally unable to speak to anyone on the phone and only communicate through a chat option and when I explain I cannot speak to anyone only text or chat , they keep telling me to phone them 
OVO first said I had to pay £285 a month out of my pension/ pension credit I did it a few times then had a bad month and missed 2 payments they put my DD up to £1,050 a month , which is more than I receive a month . 

I lost my head and took an overdose but my neighbour helped me and the hospital saved me . I cannot speak to anyone I don’t want to speak to debt charities but I can chat and pay my debt off if given a chance which OVO have refused now unless I get a smart meter in and talk to debt charity giving them all my debts income etc to tell me what to pay ? I know OVO use smart meters to cut off peoples electricity and put PAYG meters in which I cannot cope with at all and as I don’t leave my house I couldn’t put keys or cards topped up . This week Welsh Water gave me a new plan of £25 a month to pay my bill and debt off after I sent them an email explaining my breakdown had caused the bills to mount but I could now make a smaller payment and pay regularly if they gave me a chance and they have 
EON NEXT my gas supplier I owed £4200 to and after I fully explained all that had occurred during and after lockdown , they not only wiped my debt clean and put a £250 credit on my account as long as I had a new smart meter installed and paid £90 per month in future rising if I used more energy which is still sensible , and said as I was registered as a vulnerable person I would not go through that .Ovo will not lower my DD and say I must clear my debt by February so my DD is 

still £1,050 monthly ? Unless I give all my bank details etc so Stepchange can check all my other debts my income outgoings and have a PAYG meter put in too ?  I said I can pay a lower amount if they give me more time and I have a credit meter as I’m physically and mentally due to my inability to leave my house , unable to top up any meter . 

I can’t let them have my bank details to sort out my debts I just cannot do it ? 

Why can’t they give me longer to pay off the debt while paying for my electricity monthly ? 

Their advisors are awful and totally refuse to listen to me on Chat keep telling me to phone them when I tell them I cannot do that then after I filled in all they asked for on the help pages about my income/ outgoings they still said if I don’t pay the debt in full or pay all my income to them by DD at £1050 a month for four months I can only seek help by handing over all my bank details and debt detail to step change which I cannot do ?
is it too much to ask for them to lower my DD to an amount I can pay ? Which they agreed would be £450 a month ? My electricity use is now at £89 a month and I offered to of course pay for that plus an amount toward clearing the debt which they said was £450 , so knowing I am both a physically and mentally vulnerable State Pensioner on basic pension plus pension credit and knowing the circumstances which brought me here , they will not lower my direct debit further and have refused to do so . They refuse to chat as I am able to and keep telling me to phone them which I cannot do . I just cannot and nothing I have done even begging them will not budge them
Can you advise me please ? 

Sarahwithlove

Have you tried emailing Ovo? They are one of the worst companies to deal with i find. You may find with email its easier to explain the whole picture. 

Can I ask why you are reluctant to go via stepchange? 

liselle

Feel for you but not sure if this is the right section to give help? What do others think?