no I'm not, I would be if they took my £30 a month but they say it isn't enough - so they are the ones who have told me despite my sending a statement of means, that I am not paying them quickly enough so I am "defaulting" despite paying them regularly, on the 1st of each month and that they will mark my file and drag me through the mud until I can magic up a figure they know I cannot afford, and even then, they probably won't remove the 6 month flag as it was "right at the time "despite them not warning me they were going to do that, "at the time" - plain bullying from start to finish really.

thanks, but I'm not paying enough - I'm paying £30 a month which although isn't pennies is at least demonstrative of my will to settle this - I want rid of the marker because they didn't tell me

hi always paid my bills had a good rating, however in dispute with energy company over massive bill I cannot afford in time for their liking, still paying them so they've slapped on a 6 months arrears which I'm trying to negotiate they remove based on incorrect details they held if it sticks - 1. how bad is a 6 month next to a default, particularly in terms of remortgaging to get a fairly low fixed percentage in a year's time - will accept 4% or under as ok offer if fixed for 3+ years 2. if I continue to pay at the rate I can afford in real money - £30/month vs 2k debt, this energy company (eon) will continue to drag my name through the mud - at what stage do I expect a default notice ? 3. if I take the hit on a credit card for a payment in 1 , is it worth the 20% APR and misery over 1-2 years repaying it , or am I better off paying it in "Managed " instalments, with the company - getting AP flags every month until I settle in full? advice appreciated, I do check my credit file but I find their flags are a lore unto themselves, they're also like voodoo, they only work because everyone takes them seriously

ALSO I didn't accept ombudsman's decision on the false reading of the meter, which led to this 2k - am I able to take Eon to court? thanks

HI Helena The direct debit was only for Electricity and over 6 years it was whatever they asked based on an estimate - I work away from home a LOT, and was perhaps naïve to think an estimate was fine and they'd take what they needed. note, during some winters they had the debit at 60 a month, other times 30, averaged approx. 30 from what I recall. The £30 a month I speak of was after the bill hit - it was was when I moved and they finally read it. I've done that as I accept I'm liable for some of the debt ( all of the debt now the ombudsman ruled against me ) I will post the relevant bit from the ombudsman's letter at the end making it clear it is them. I feel short changed for want of a better phrase because I've kept in touch and paid what I could despite a mortgage and a new set of bills. I've not skipped a month and while £30 a month isn't massive, it's not pennies either and I've shown commitment only to be trashed at the CRA's. so this is about eon wanting the money in a timescale I can't pay it and if I cannot do it, then they will wipe the floor with me. I perhaps can cling to the paragraph below where it says I can pay over a year I am still prepared to cripple myself on the credit card if they are prepared to remove the black mark. Point is- they never told me they were going to do it. You'd think they'd be happy to oblige on this technicality if they got all the cash now and I was looking for a second job for as long as it took to clear the high interest CC debt Thanks for your help , all, so far Excelman from ombudsman's letter below "E.ON has agreed to allow you to clear the balance over a period of 12 months. You say you are unable to afford this and have provided the company with details of your income and expenditure to demonstrate this. Whilst this may be the case, the terms of any payment plan offered are a commercial decision, which falls outside our remit. Simply put, we cannot tell E.ON how much it should accept from you. We are, however, able to consider whether the payment arrangement offered is reasonable. Having done so, we are of the opinion that allowing a debt to be paid over 12 months, which has accrued through no error by E.ON, is indeed reasonable. To pay back the balance at the rate you request would take in excess of seven years, which we consider unreasonable. E.ON has referred your account to a debt collection agency. That such action may be taken in the event of ongoing non payment of an account is detailed within its terms of contract and we are satisfied that this action was valid given that you rejected its proposed payment plan. E.ON suggests that the balance may be able to be cleared over a longer period of time via the agency, but this is something you will need to arrange with it (the agency, not E.ON) directly. We therefore suggest you contact the agency, "

thanks rebel - I think it's a good deal for them, it's a painful one for me but at least if I pay it that's that. They're not making it easy for me!

Hi guys - hope you can help Brief history: was on direct debit with eon for years but then moved house, they then read the meter and 2.5k owing. I felt this extraordinarily high and thought my old housemate had given false leaving reading, I couldn't prove it, and eventually took it to ombudsman and I lost. Throughout the time from when I moved house (including when the case was with ombudsman) I have religiously paid £30 a month, without fail. This is all I can afford in real money and I told Eon this even going so far as to send a statement of means which they then discarded despite my sending it causing me considerable embarrassment. The statement clearly showed I could only afford the £30 so ombudsman ruled bill is due in full and I've just had this six month marker on my credit file which I don't want as I have dependents and I don't want a worse future with eon trashing my file. I really can't afford this but I'm trying to take a long term view. I called up and said I'd pay the whole thing on my credit card, but I wanted it in writing they'd remove my 6 month black mark, and once it was off the file I'd use the credit card, settle in full. thinking being if I renege they can always put the mark back on! They said no they can't move it and I just don't understand this. They never told me they were going to put this mark on my account, and I've just offered to cripple myself with debt to get them remove it. Do I have any argument at all here or any hope of them removing it? questions 1. how damaging is this 6 month flag? - my file is otherwise immaculate. If a default scores 10 negative points how many does a 6 month flag score 2. what happens if I continue to not pay eon other than the £30 , which I will continue , because in real money I can only afford £30 a month 3. how can eon damage my file like this when I've been contacting them and paying regularly ? Thanks in advice excelman