Standing Charge

ewart471

It has recently been brought to my attention that N.Power are charging someone £10 for every £3 of electricity he uses . This is apparently because he has accrued arrears, because he did not use the minimum required amounts, during periods when he was either in hospital or in jail . This person has mental health problems and has difficulty understanding how he can be charged for something he has not used . IS THIS LEGAL?? It is certainly not moral.

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rosysparkle

npower's website http://www.npower.com/web/At_home/customer_service/payment_information/WCMS_003393 says:

If you are away from home the prepayment meter will continue to collect the standing charge and any amount you owe us. You need to make sure there is enough credit on the meter before you go away to cover these charges.

So any existing arrears will still be due, plus the standing charge which will have accrued weekly while the person was not in the house.

How much does this person owe in arrears? Can they come to an agreement with npower to take a lower amount for arrears?