Owing money on a pre-payment account

[Aterlatus]

I recently switched providers for my electricity and gas from NPower (boooo, hisssss) to Scottish Power. The gas is a regular meter, the electricity is a pre-payment meter. About a week after I requested the change npower sent me a bill for the electricity of £60(ish). I assumed this way just a payment or four that hadn't made it to them yet and let it slide. Now I'm getting letters from a DCA for this supposed debt.

Is it possible that I do actually owe them money? I figured that was the point in a pre-payment meter, that you paid for it beforehand so couldn't land up in debt. Where should I go from here?

Thanks for any advice

[Clare_L]

Call them and ask them to justify the debt. It may be that the meter was not recallibrated when the prices went up.

[Conniff]

I don't think you should call them, do it by letter (recorded) and ask them to give you a detailed account summary showing where exactly this supposed debt came from.

Prepayment is just that and as you pay more for the electricity you are getting than you do through a regular billing account, I would want a complete justification of this underpayment and how it came about.

I can't see how anyone can run up a bill when you paid for something in advance, it's not as if they had continued to supply when the token had run out, and if as suggested it could be to do with recalibration, I think that is their fault as I believe this is done through the key or card.

I certainly wouldn't pay them anything until they have fully justified this bill.

[noggsy]

On certain older meters (normally card) the meters have to be recallibrated manually so it is not unusual they have a debt against the meter which many people dont understand rightly. Morally it is wrong but dependant on the supplier they can insisit on payment. In the case of N Power they are notorious b*****ds.

[Clare_L]

I dont see the problem in calling initially in seeing what the problem is, it could easily be sorted and can save time. If you get no satisfaction after that first call, THEN put everything in writing. It could be something really simple and easily rectified.

And noggsy is correct, not ALL meters can be recalibrated unless done manually.

[WebMaster]

I had a similar problem (see my thread in this forum). The credit on my gas was down to zero, and I didn't top it up, since I was moving out (and it was the middle of summer). I was still being charged a standard charge though (for the privilege of having gas), so even though I wasn't using any gas, this standard charge was being applied. As a result, my account ended up in debt.

This could be what's happening to you, or it may just be that npower have estimated your gas usage - again, they did that to me too. Took a lot of arguing with them to get an accurate bill

[Conniff]

Originally Posted by WebMaster

I had a similar problem (see my thread in this forum). The credit on my gas was down to zero, and I didn't top it up, since I was moving out (and it was the middle of summer). I was still being charged a standard charge though (for the privilege of having gas), so even though I wasn't using any gas, this standard charge was being applied. As a result, my account ended up in debt.

This could be what's happening to you, or it may just be that npower have estimated your gas usage - again, they did that to me too. Took a lot of arguing with them to get an accurate bill

Ok - but how do you know that final bill was accurate ?

[WebMaster]

Good point. They claimed that it was based on actual meter read (and admitted that the previous had been an estimate), and it was low enough for me not to be too bothered (t he first bill was "!" the second was just *mutter*)

[Aterlatus]

It's one of the new fangled chippy key meters - updates automagically when the rates are changed (and has done a couple of times). I've got a seperate argument with Scottish Power (moved to them because their metered rate was cheaper than anyone else based on the fact they'd put in a regular meter for me which they're now refusing to do - their prepayment is higher than anyone else /growl).

I'll dig out the latest DCA letter and throw a reply to them by post - I hate being cornered on the phone (phoneaphobia maybe ) so it's prolly better for me to do it by post. On the phone I always end up agreeing to ridiculous payment schedules that there's no way I can keep up with :o

Thanks for the advice all

[WebMaster]

Is it Debt Managers Ltd? Personally I wouldn't bother replying, although you can send them a letter asking/telling them not to ring you anymore. I did that and got a groveling apology