Broken prepayment meter
Options
Comments
-
The other thing I would do is to document everything you've done (phone calls, emails, etc) in a diary format. It might come in handy at some point in the future.
As others have said, gather as much evidence of past consumption as possible too.
Any chance you'd be in a position to switch to a credit account at any point? That would highlight the need to read invisible readings or even perhaps trigger a meter swap?0 -
I'm not sure about having a credit meter. We have air pump heating/hot water which is regularly faulty and has often cost us extra to run. I would rather pay as we go, than end up with a nasty bill.
0 -
Don't you still get some kind of statement or summary once a year even with a prepayment meter? I guess most people probably ignore them as they are topping up and think its of no interest, but it should tell you how much you've used and if there are cheaper tariffs available. Knowing your usage just gives you more ammunition to argue with them when they try to claw back money from you.
If you have to pay the debt off through the new prepay meter, although you can switch with a debt as long as its under £500, it will make it quicker and easier to switch to another supplier with no debt. So if you can put the money away in the meantime and then come to a reasonable agreement with Spark as to how much you owe, you can pay it off, then get on with finding another (hopefully more helpful) supplier.0 -
No, I don't get statements at all.
Money is going aside. I'm super paranoid they'll chase me for money!0 -
I used to get a yearly statement with a PrePay, you should get one really via post I think.
They get the current meter reading at each topup anyway, as it transmits that back to them when you have the token/key in the shop for a topup.
Debt: Only if you refused to pay what they said, then they might set it to take say £0.xx per day from the credit balance on the machine. I'd not worry too much about that to be honest, as long as you are putting aside what you think you're using you'll be likely fine.
I'd ask them for a satement though, are you really sure you don't have one ? Perhaps its online or sent via email. IIRC mine showed most topups and the balance/meter reading at each I think. It may of been quarterly now I think about it, I can't remember.0 -
If you're topping up that much all the time, have you checked that you are not possibly paying off the previous occupier's debt?
Just a thought.0 -
I can agree with that..I avoided posting something like that for that very reason.
Perhaps a cheeky note might work then if nothing else ( )
Explain again that it is not working and you thank them for the unmetered supply due to the meter fault. You propose to pay a complete and total sum of no more than £2 daily for this supply including the standing charge until such time as it is rectified.
No idea on the legality of that however you are then not stealing anything and have made them an offer for the supply...
When I find what is a tampered/bypassed meter its a £10 bonus for me from BG RPU and £50 for a business meter, but I have had it explained to me by Revenue Protection Officers that these blank screen prepayment meters are technically legal, even if the occupier never reported it and received an electricity supply for years which was nt billed , so no £10 for me alas ! even though I have ended a faulty meter which was delivering an electric supply.
BG and other suppliers will "attempt "to estimate some back billing based on historic usage.
Whether they actually manage to do this is a question as the occupants appeal and lodge complaints to the Ombudsman that its unfair to back bill0 -
Honestly, I've never had a statement whilst with spark. Paper or email.
We do top up a lot, seems common where we live from speaking to other neighbours. The eco friendly air source heat pumps are not wallet friendly.
And no, we can't be paying off previous occupiers debt. We were the first tenants in this house, it was a new build. We had the meter installed.0 -
I'd ask them to send you a paper statement then, of the last years use or the last few months at least. They will have this information as each time you have the key 'read' in the shop even if its not doing any money topup, the data is transferred over, each way.
This is how things like debt setups are done too. The top up / shop is the only 'external comms' that type of meter really has so the 'key token' holds data between the shop and the meter too. 0 -
I will ask. Based on current dealings with them though, I wouldn't expect them to make it easy.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
- 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 449.7K Spending & Discounts
- 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 608K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 173.1K Life & Family
- 247.9K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards