Warrant of Entry - Help please

[tigtig]

Hi

Let me tell you my story.........

I have my electric with npower and i have not been able to pay them on my direct debit for the last 2 months. Today i have had a notice of intent to apply for a warrant of entry. I rang them up and told them i can pay half of my bill owed next Friday the 22nd June.

They said they could do nothing and could not stop the warrant until i pay some money. I told them that next friday is payday for me and i will pay them then. They still said they could do nothing to out hold on the account until they recieve some money from me.

I suppose my question is if anyone know, how long does it take to get a warrant of entry. Do i have a week or are they pretty quick with these things.

Hope that makes sense!!

Thanks

Rachel

[mree]

Originally Posted by tigtig

Hi

Let me tell you my story.........

I have my electric with npower and i have not been able to pay them on my direct debit for the last 2 months. Today i have had a notice of intent to apply for a warrant of entry. I rang them up and told them i can pay half of my bill owed next Friday the 22nd June.

They said they could do nothing and could not stop the warrant until i pay some money. I told them that next friday is payday for me and i will pay them then. They still said they could do nothing to out hold on the account until they recieve some money from me.

I suppose my question is if anyone know, how long does it take to get a warrant of entry. Do i have a week or are they pretty quick with these things.

Hope that makes sense!!

Thanks

Rachel

Don't panic, it just sounds like they're being a bit heavy-handed with the initial stages of follow-up, or maybe you got an enthusiastic new starter in their debt department! It takes ages to get as far as a warrant, we're talking months here, just pay off the balance as soon as you can and make sure you keep up with payments in future.

[gondukin]

As mree said... they have to actually apply to the court, wait for a court date, go to court, get the warrant, then execute it. You will have plently of notice as this progresses.

[tigga_1961]

i dont think it takes months to get a warrant of execution, we know someone who agreed to pay by prepayment meters as she couldnt afford the bill, on wed 23rd May the meters were to be changed but my friend forgot as she had a hospital appt, and off she went when she returned she had a card say blah blah called to change meters contact npower to rearrange, the following day she had a letter thru post saying that they had applied for a warrant and this would be carried out on or after 8th june.... so just be aware it can happen pretty quickly, guess sometimes it depends on what area you live.

[kasdizz]

Warrants of Execution and Warrants of Entry. Two different things.

A WOEx is applied for to your local court after a County Court Judgement has been entered, and the order for repayment was defaulted on. You need to file an N245 application to suspend a Warrant, or negotiate with the bailiff's office. There are other ways around this too, and these are listed on this site.

A Warrant of Entry relates to the Right of Entry (Electricity and Gas) 1954 and the Electricity Act 1989. They'll probably fit a key meter. Let them in. A magistrate will have ruled on this. They will also have to already have tried to enter once and given you notice also

It takes 3 days to issue a WOEex as the absolute minimum, I make these applications as part of my job (I try to avoid it if poss, as they are a last resort), and the whole process generally takes 10 days (assuming there is already a defaulted court order- that takes 52 days minimum). No idea about a WOent, prob a bit quicker, a week or so maybe.

To be honest, it sounds like an inexperienced collector over-threatening as mree said. Or maybe they have messed up on the last financial year's targets, and are getting heavy.

[blakey1]

as a previous employee of npower my experience is that it can take upto a month to obtain relevant paperwork.

turn your bill over and get number for customer relation dept, they are monitored by the Regulator and have a vastly more experience background and also they have more powers on accounts than the basic call centre idiot or manager.

steve

[mree]

Originally Posted by blakey1

as a previous employee of npower my experience is that it can take upto a month to obtain relevant paperwork.

turn your bill over and get number for customer relation dept, they are monitored by the Regulator and have a vastly more experience background and also they have more powers on accounts than the basic call centre idiot or manager.

steve

Excuse me? I'm getting really sick of the disrespectful and downright rude way some people on this forum talk about call centre employees. I work part-time for an energy supplier, and I assure you that neither I nor the majority of my colleagues are idiots. A lot of us work there part-time to fund ourselves through university, so these 'idiots' you speak of are quite likely to be the people who, in the future, will be your nurse, your doctor, your solicitor, your childrens' teacher, etc., etc.

I come on here to try and help out people who are having problems with their energy accounts, and on more than one occasion have been able to sort out complex queries for CAG members when other members have advised them to bypass the 'idiots', 'monkeys' or whatever other derogatory term is fashionable that week and head straight for Energywatch unneccessarily!

As a previous employee of NPower, blakey, you should really know better, unless you are part of the minority of call centre workers who could be classed as 'idiots'! Of course we have them, as do most other easy-to-get-a-job-in professions, but I really am becoming very offended by the language used.

[kasdizz]

Fair point Mree.

However, I think that the crux of the arguement about escalating complex queries through general help-lines Vs specialist departmental lines is that call centre advisors have less time to deal with more complex inquiries than specialist teams. This isn't being idiotic, just having call-time targets to hit.

[mree]

Originally Posted by kasdizz

Fair point Mree.

However, I think that the crux of the arguement about escalating complex queries through general help-lines Vs specialist departmental lines is that call centre advisors have less time to deal with more complex inquiries than specialist teams. This isn't being idiotic, just having call-time targets to hit.

That's a valid point - I'm pleased we agree on the only point I wanted to make though, which is that there's no reason or justification for calling call centre workers idiots!

In fact, I would really appreciate it if everyone could drop the nasty comments about the workers in this industry in general - we're not out to get old ladies in debt, we're not there to try and screw you out of anything, in general if we can help you the first time, WE WILL - it's less hassle for us! We really DON'T WANT to have you back on the phone screaming at us a week later, we just want to get it sorted out the first time!

I appeal to the mods - please don't let this kind of slander go unchecked, I don't have to help people on here, but I do, and I have. If people keep referring to me as an idiot or a monkey,I won't bother any more.

[Clare_L]

Originally Posted by mree

That's a valid point - I'm pleased we agree on the only point I wanted to make though, which is that there's no reason or justification for calling call centre workers idiots!

In fact, I would really appreciate it if everyone could drop the nasty comments about the workers in this industry in general - we're not out to get old ladies in debt, we're not there to try and screw you out of anything, in general if we can help you the first time, WE WILL - it's less hassle for us! We really DON'T WANT to have you back on the phone screaming at us a week later, we just want to get it sorted out the first time!

I appeal to the mods - please don't let this kind of slander go unchecked, I don't have to help people on here, but I do, and I have. If people keep referring to me as an idiot or a monkey,I won't bother any more.

Ditto, as a call centre advisor, I too get fed up with the nasty comments. Couldnt have said it better myself.

Clare

[plainjane]

Hi all the same thing has happened to me this morning,heres the letter I have ready to post.

"I set up a standing order for my gas and electric in December 2006(£30 + £30),I then changed the order in January 2007 for (£30 gas + £60 electric),the first payment due 1st Feb 2007. Payments have been made up until 1st July 2007, I then had to rearrange my finances and set the date for the end of every month. So next payment you would receive would be 31st August.
I arranged for a prepayment meter, the fellow came out, looked at my electric meter and said “I don’t know why they’ve sent me you already have the meter they’re telling me to put in”
Then I arrive home from work to find a disconnection notice through the letter box, I rang the mobile number stated and asked what the problem was. I explained I was already paying £60.00 monthly for my electric. He looked on his computer and said that he saw I was and to just keep paying, which I have done.
Then in the post this morning I get a we are obtaining a warrant to enter your premises.
I have had no communication from you about how or why this outstanding debt has occurred, when I have tried to contact you by telephone I’ve been unsuccessful in getting through. I have enclosed my itemised telephone bill as my proof of phone calls to you. I have marked on the bill what I believe to be your call centres, feel free to have a look and see if there’s any I’ve missed. "

I signed up for paperfree but have been unable to view any of my bills, the only notification Ive had is the 3 mentioned,where do I go from here?

Any ideas greatfully received
Jane

[plainjane]

sorry folks that text is way too big

[gizmo111]

Originally Posted by plainjane

sorry folks that text is way too big

Changed for you jane

[buzby]

Nobody's mentioned this - but no npower actually OWN any meters? As I recall they are simply virtual retailers, effectively using the infrastructure of the original LEB (local electricity board). They can certainly ask the LEB to install a meter, but nPower themselves won't do the work.

[mree]

Originally Posted by buzby

Nobody's mentioned this - but no npower actually OWN any meters? As I recall they are simply virtual retailers, effectively using the infrastructure of the original LEB (local electricity board). They can certainly ask the LEB to install a meter, but nPower themselves won't do the work.

I think NPower do own meters, didn't they used to be NEEB, the LEB for the North-East? Just as EDF still own meters in the SEEB, LE, and SWEB areas, as they bought these companies.

[buzby]

Ah - I had overlooked the parentage angle. I'm with EDF, but it is Scottish Power that has the infrastructure, so whilst EDF may well have rights to areas they may have bought into (like London), it all helps to add a further element of confusion!