Gas/Electricity Supplier Problem

[Otrere]

In August 2004 I telephoned my gas/elec supplier (who supply both our gas/elec as a single DD monthly payment) to ask if we could reduce our DD monthly payment at all. They calculated that we would be able to reduce payments to �52/month and that would sufficiently cover our gas and electricity bills.

Today I have received a letter from them telling me that we are �276.75 in arrears and that we need to pay �98/month for the next 9 months to pay this off and that we actually shouldn't be paying �52/month anyway, we should be paying �75/month.

I do not believe that this is my fault! It made me feel ill to read that I am expected to pay almost double the amount of DD that we have been paying, because basically we cannot afford an extra �46/month!

We have been with our supplier for several years so surely they should have known in Aug 04 what our usage is like? Why did they tell me that �52/month would be sufficient to cover the gas and electricity when quite clearly it wasn't enough, and why did they leave it so long (almost a year) before they contacted us and let the debt build up?

I really don't know what I am going to do about it because I can't change supplier (which is what I have told them I will do, as I telephoned them today and there was no compromise, they refuse to reduce the �98/month payment) until the arrears has been paid off.

I am so angry, upset and distraught that they gave me incorrect figures in the first place and that they left it so long before contacting us now with an almost �300 debt.

Is there anything I can do please??

[woofgang]

sorry not to be more helpful but if you have a genuine financial problem then the best thing that I can suggest is the Citizens Advice Bureau

[milly143]

Was it Powergen??  I got a final reminder for a bill of over �155.00 today. I never got a first bill, dont know what it is for and when I called and asked them about it they came up with lots of confusing answers and said it had been paid by direct debit on 23rd June. If that was the case then why was the final demand letter dated 24th June. Now Im worried I'm going to get a nasty letter in a couple of weeks.

[Otrere]

Yes it was Powergen. I've heard numerous tales of people having problems with them just lately.

[jean88]

Have you just swithched?
These companies always trying to make you switch to them to save money but they dont. They seem to be saving money at first compare to your previous suppliers. Then they adjust the payments and say due to the usage your new monthly payment should be increased. That had happened to mine and we have signed a contract but I am going to switch soon.
Does it cost more this year than last? It shouldnt cost that much more if your circumstances hasnt changed.
Have they read the meters or the bill estimated? That would make a lot of difference.

Switch suppliers, compare prices on

      www.uswitch.com

[Otrere]

Thank you JEAN88 but if you had read my thread fully I did say that I have been with my supplier for several years and I cannot switch to another supplier until I have paid off the arrears .... which I personally do not consider to be my fault as they calculated a monthly direct debit figure in August 2004 for us to pay that they said would be enough to cover our gas/elec use and now almost a year later they have turned round and said we have not been paying enough and we owe them nearly 300.00.

[Gef]

Sorry to sound unsympathetic here (I'm not) but surely by looking at your bills you might have realised that you were using more than you were paying for.

[jean88]

Right. Like Gef said you have been using more than they estimated, its there fault. They are prepared for you to spread the arrears over with the next years bill? Im afraid thats all they can do.

[twiglet4frog]

ask them if u can leave the direct debit at what it is and pay the excess in cash with a payment card, they should be able to spread the cost over the year to pay it off and u can pay in cash when u want then, not when they take it! I am with powergen and i will only pay by cash and i can pay �20 a month plus extra in the year whenever i feel i have the means to pay more and that is for both gas and electric. At the end of the day, u are liable to pay as what they take from u monthly is only an estimate and they cant be completely sure how much u might or might not use. having said that i think the operator that lowered the amount was wrong to do so as it seems your monthly payments were about right in the first place!

[Mrs_Pegasus]

I had a similar problem some time back and I am afraid it is my fault.

Regardless of the fact you are paying them monthly, you still receive bills every 1/4 and if you check them you will see your arrear mounting up each time.  They are in effect giving you credit and I think its reasonable that after 12 months they want to see this amount reducing as opposed to increasing.

I for one check my bills each time and ensure they are using actual readings and not estimates, if the arrears have risen since the last bill I then increase the payment.

I would write to them and offer a reasonable repayment term.  I was successful with my request and paid it off over the following 12 months.  Say to them, you are not disputing the amount and you are willing to pay but the most you can afford is X amount.

Good Luck

[Otrere]

Thanks for your replies folks. Someone else (at work) told me I can leave my DD as it is and get a payment card. Thing is I don't actually receive paper bills since I signed up on line and since I have had problems connecting to view my bills what am I supposed to bl** dy do? Surely they should send paper bills out as well?

[jean88]

You can request for paper bills as well, its a lot clearer with their bill than online ones anyway.

Hope you sort it out soon.

[twiglet4frog]

not being funny but cant u just ring them up and ask them to send a bill out to u, and ask them about how to go about a payment card or whatever? end of the day they want there money and u want it sorted out so give them a ring! u might be surprissed how easy it is.