Yorkshire Water!!!

[Yog sothoth]

Last year I made an arrangement with YW, with whom I had some arrears, to pay them £36 a month, which is the current bill plus some for the arrears. All went smoothly until last month, when for unavoidable reasons (NatWest charging me £38 for a failed £5 standing order!), I was unable to pay as usual. I wrote to them, explaining that the payment would be late, expecting a simple acknowledgement, but instead I received a strong letter saying that my payment arrangement had "failed" and henceforth, I was to pay £80 a month, and that "this is the minimum I am prepared to accept"! Note the first person singular; no "we".
Bottom line is, I can't pay them £80. I just can't, without starving. So I've not replied, and have carried on paying the £36 as before.
I'm sort of bracing myself for a hard line from them, but I'm a regular payer, who pays what he can afford to pay, and I don't see why I should have to simply hand over wads of cash because they demand it.
Like all my utilities, I pay by standing order, not direct debit. Maybe that annoys them.

[Conniff]

Don't let them bully you yog. They can't get what you haven't got and are trying it on. They also know that if this went to court, the judge would look at your means and probably order an even lower payment, courts will not be party to getting people into debt.

Continue to pay the £36 and tell them that is all you can afford.

[rippedoffagain]

Conniff is perfectly correct. Yorkshire Water can't do a thing to make you increase your payments, even if you missed one. The Court would take a dim view of them litigating, when you are clearly making payments off the arrears.

[Yog sothoth]

That's what I think too. I'll continue to pay the £36. and see what happens next. I might write back and say it's all I can afford, although I already did that a while back, which they seemed happy with.