Help Being Cut Off

wakelymadhouse · 27 June 2018 at 5:45PM

I switched to Avro energy last year , the monthly amounts got higher and higher and we got into financial difficulty I admit we didn't pay for a while but I did contact them in February asking for help and if they could transfer me to a cheaper tarrif as I was really struggling they replied saying I owed money so they wouldn't change the tarrif no mention of help so I didn't reply either. Last month I started to get on top of things so emailed them again asking for help and if they had a scheme for people struggling the reply was your account has been referred to a third party for disconnection and is going to maginstrates court , so I searched for advice then sent another email saying you cannot disconnect us if we have contacted you and asked for help (I have the emails) Secondly you did not offer us a payment plan which you need to do if you intend to disconnect us Neither did you offer any alternatives even a pre-pay metre. that I also have children with disabilities and they cant just cut us off when we have asked for help also asking if they part of the Safety Net pledge?
Today I got a reply that they have contacted us numerous times they have not , that they have sent a disconnection letter they have not, that they could have offered us payment plans if we had contacted them which I did that's its down to the courts now and they are not part of the safety net pledge I am really panicking wish I had never left the big companies anyone got any advice or been through similar

Robin9 · 27 June 2018 at 6:08PM

How much do you owe ?

wakelymadhouse · 27 June 2018 at 6:11PM

they are now saying our bill is £2500 but they say that my readings don't match up to previous reading so cant accept them

Robin9 · 27 June 2018 at 6:45PM

Lets see if we can ensure that what they are billing you for is correct.

When you switched to Avro you would have had to give them opening readings? Look on your first bill - what was that reading and what was the date ? What was the tariff ?

Since then have you received monthly or quarterly bills - did they have E for estimated or A for actual - or if you have been reading your meter regularly (you are haven't you ?) a letter C. You say you missed some payments - does that mean you cancelled you DD ? That would have been bad news.

What is the reading NOW ?

welshmoneylover · 27 June 2018 at 8:47PM

Instead of complaining about being cut off, why don!!!8217;t you make it easier for yourself and start making payments?

PennineAcute · 27 June 2018 at 9:17PM

welshmoneylover wrote: »

Instead of complaining about being cut off, why don!!!8217;t you make it easier for yourself and start making payments?

That is not helpful. When karma hits you, I hope you get replies like you dish out.

silverwhistle · 27 June 2018 at 11:03PM

Ask them for copies of the communications they sent you. It sounds like you are in financial difficulties, so have you been opening all those horrible brown envelopes or have you been ignoring them? That's an awfully large bill for such a period, so I suggest you start by getting the information Robin9 requested.

Scatty · 28 June 2018 at 8:21AM

welshmoneylover wrote: »

Instead of complaining about being cut off, why don!!!8217;t you make it easier for yourself and start making payments?

How rude are you. Keyboard warrior, nothing better to do.

House_Martin · 28 June 2018 at 8:46AM

The supplier is definitely using a disgusting bluffing tactic with an action suggesting they will cut you off after a visit to a Magistrate.
That does nt happen anymore in the UK. I think the comment about "cutting you off " should be referred to OFGEM.
Only in extreme circumstances is anyone cut off. British Gas for instance , who I work for will only consider cutting off supply if the occupier has bypassed meters three times.
Any household with a "vulnerable person in residence , the suppliers are nt allowed to disconnect electricity although in extreme circumstances the gas supply can be disconnected
Your debt is an average one to lead to force fitting of a prepayment meter, the sort of debt which is partly due to the supplier allowing it to get as high as that without bringing out the big guns.
The most the supplier will do in your case is to fit prepayment meters and set a debt to be repaid weekly between £3.50 to £16 a week. In your case it will be £16 a week I would think.
Suppliers only go to Magistrates for warrants as a last resource if a prepayment has been refused by the customer and no real effort to lower the debt is taken.
Prepayment meter tariffs are now slightly less than the suppliers standard/variable rates.
Do not let the supplier go for a warrant as the costs are added to the debt on the prepayment meter. .
Warrant costs are approx £150 plus another £100 if a locksmith is engaged so allow the fitting of the prepay meter.

elsien · 28 June 2018 at 8:57AM

Scatty wrote: »

How rude are you. Keyboard warrior, nothing better to do.

PennineAcute wrote: »

That is not helpful. When karma hits you, I hope you get replies like you dish out.

welshmoneylover wrote: »

Instead of complaining about being cut off, why don!!!8217;t you make it easier for yourself and start making payments?

However badly phrased, it's a valid point.

The supplier is behaving extremely badly but it's not clear from the OP if they are paying anything at all at the moment.
Making payments however small shows the OP is willing to engage to try to resolve the arrears while an affordable plan is set up.

Robin9 · 28 June 2018 at 9:33AM

Hopefully the OP will be back today with some more info.

On face value it all sounds very extreme - a huge debt somehow built up in a very short period and a rapid debt recovery.

Help Being Cut Off

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