warrant of entry

[wheresmyhairgone]

Hi

Quick background info:

I have been self-employed for 25yrs but work has dried up i,m barely earning enough money to pay my mortgage. I pay the mortgage and any other bills have to wait. My question is can they force me to have a prepayment meter? I will go to court and prove that i have been trying to pay the bill (the payments have been irregular but at least i have been trying). I live in a bungalow in the middle of nowhere,i have no nebours and the nearest shop is 5 miles away.Can i choose to be disconnected and not have a prepayment meter. If things get any worse i will have to sell my house and i don,t think many people would want it if there is a prepayment meter attached, and i would think it would devalue my house.One last thing, i keep getting letters from Grosvenor Legal Services and each time the charge me £37.00 stating they recently visited, but no one has been to my house(i,m in all day) aren,t they supposed to leave a card or something if no one is in? My meter is outside my house and accessible. Just thought i would mention that.

Edited August 7, 2009 by wheresmyhairgone

[dx100uk]

GSA - well according to the fsa website they went bust in 2008!

 

well they are a dca and cannot add charges nor interest on whatever debt they are chasing.

 

i would off the gas/electric co. a set amount each month and hope they accept it.

 

the charge for reconnection will be far more than the inco of a prepayment meter to anyone that might wish to buy.

 

chin up

 

you'll get there

 

dx

[wheresmyhairgone]

Thanks for answer

 

I can not not offer them a set amount i never know how much money i have each month.

 

I would rather have my house and no gas then have gas and no house.

 

The politcians keep telling me things will get better, i don,t see why the utilities company don,t see this. Why can,t they accept that i,m trying to pay and i will pay the whole amount when the jobs start coming in again.Why don,t the banks,utilities,mortgage companies ect except this fact. What can they hope to achieve by adding countless charges to what i allready owe.There is only one way this will end if they continue with there threats of courts,baliffs ect.I file for bankruptcy and what good will that do for anyone?

 

Sorry about that rant had to get it of my chest. I just had my phone cut off so now if any of my connections have any work for me they cannot get hold of me. Thats my point really i can,t pay the whole phone bill because work is scarce,now my chances of getting work are less and the chances of them getting paid are less.

 

Anyway back to original post:

Can they force me to have a prepayment meter?

[wheresmyhairgone]

ok everyone

Sorry about that rant which has nothing to do with this forum.

 

can i just ask:

 

CAN SCOTTISH POWER FORCE ME TO HAVE A PREPAYMENT GAS METER?

[zazen.warrior]

Yes they can.

[wheresmyhairgone]

Can you elaborate?

[tararabumdeay]

There isn't a lot of elaboration to be done on 'yes' because basically they can, the law is on their side. The Rights of Entry (Gas and Electricity boards Act) 1954 allows them warrant of entry, and they will also chanrge you for the warrant and disconnecting the supply. The meter will be set at a higher rate for you to pay the arrears, so no money, no fuel. I sincerely hope you get some work come your way soon.

[wheresmyhairgone]

Ok i kind of understand, but let me try again.

i,m not dusputing the warrant, and i,m not disputing they can disconnect me.

 

I owe them money for gas i have used, i can,t pay all of it at once so they turn it off until i do pay it. thats fair enough.

 

At the momment i,m paying £15 per week, sometimes i miss a payment.I owe them £1100

I have a list of creditors i have to pay and gas,electric,water ect. are at the bottom of that list. Mortgage,council tax,inland rev. ect are at the top.

Like i said in a previous post there,s no point in having utilities if i havn,t got a house i.e paying my motgage is my main aim everyone else gets the crumbs.

 

Right that said, i,m not asking if they can get a warrant to enter my house(they don,t need to enter my house the meter is outside anyway).

 

i,m due in court on 07/09, i can prove that i,m attempting to pay of arrears so i doubt if they will be allowed to disconnect me. I expect they will want to fit a prepayment meter.

 

My question is can i say no you can,t fit one, i would rather you disconnect me until arrears are paid.

 

This might sound anal but Its my house my property i have worked hard to get it and ****** if i would let some big company tell me what i have to have in it.

 

I,m not looking for sympathy i,m just asking if they can force me to have a prepayment meter even if i don,t want it?

Edited August 8, 2009 by wheresmyhairgone

[zazen.warrior]

Once they have a warrant to access the meter you won't really have any say. The meter does not belong to you. I *think* they would most likely fit a prepayment meter. Utility companies are quick to label an address a bad credit risk these days and this would carry forward to the next occupier until proven otherwise. Also if they fit a prepayment meter the next occupier would be on supply straight away whereas disconnection would mean a wait and a charge for reconnection ( Also they would have to prove they were a new occupier). I would guess any potential buyer would look into this once they realised the property was not connected to the power supply.

 

Having said that; if you were disconnected, after three months your supply would become shipperless (this is gas only not elec.) and as such you could ask any utility company to reconnect you without clearing your debt with the previous supplier first, whether they would accept you as a customer is another matter.

 

BTW utilities are also priority debts.

Edited August 8, 2009 by zazen.warrior

[wheresmyhairgone]

ok i understand that thank you, but what if i said no thank you i don,t want your gas, so no need to fit a prepayment meter because i won`t be using it. I have no plans in selling the house, i,m in the building trade and i built this house.

 

Like i said before, its not about the money, i,m old enough to remember outside loo`s and tin bath`s so not having a gas supply for a few month`s is not a problem for me.

 

I just don,t want to be told by someone else what i have to have in MY house.

 

So if they do get granted a warrant, are you saying that i can,t physicaly stop them fitting something i don`t want to my house. What if i call thier bluff and tell them to take the gas supply away?

 

"BTW utilities are also priority debts."

 

priority debt for who? not me

[zazen.warrior]

So if they do get granted a warrant, are you saying that i can,t physicaly stop them fitting something i don`t want to my house?

 

Yes; the police would be called and they would physically restrain you if necessary whilst the work was carried out. Also any additional costs incurred whilst carrying out the warrant would be added to your debt. For example dog handler, locksmith etc..

[wheresmyhairgone]

and if i tell them i don,t want their gas, i,m changing to oil supply?

 

"BTW utilities are also priority debts."

 

priority debt for who? not me

[zazen.warrior]

They are there to action a warrant against their meter.

[wheresmyhairgone]

I don,t think it is thier meter, does it not belong to transco?

[zazen.warrior]

I don,t think it is thier meter, does it not belong to transco?

 

I'm not quite sure what response you want to this last post.

[wheresmyhairgone]

Thanks for the dialog, but i think you afford them more power then they actualy have and i will wait for someone elses input, if they say the same as you then fair enough, my apoligies.

 

But you seem to be saying they have all the power to do or not do what they want.

 

So to cap it all you are saying:

 

If i decide to get an oil tank and have my heating supplied with that and tell the court i don,t require their gas and i will pay what i owe them, they can still have the POWER get a warrant to put a prepayment meter in my house even if i,m not using gas?

[zazen.warrior]

If i decide to get an oil tank and have my heating supplied with that and tell the court i don,t require their gas and i will pay what i owe them, they can still have the POWER get a warrant to put a prepayment meter in my house even if i,m not using gas

 

Yes.

[wheresmyhairgone]

Really? Thank you

I,ll post what happens at court on 08/09

 

If anyone else has any thoughts on this they would be welcome.

 

So there you have it folks, A mans home is not his castle after all

[wheresmyhairgone]

Hi Again

Just read thier letter again, it says:

 

The warrant will allow us to enter your home to either disconnect your gas OR install a prepayment meter.

 

I think i,ll go for the disconnection.

[zazen.warrior]

They will only disconnect if they cannot fit a prepayment meter. It is their last resort not a choice that you have. Anyways I can see I'm not saying what you want to hear so I will but out

Edited August 8, 2009 by zazen.warrior

[wheresmyhairgone]

"They will only disconnect if they cannot fit a prepayment meter."

 

But they can do what they like you said and i can,t stop them.

 

In what circumstance could they not fit a prepayment meter?

[wheresmyhairgone]

"Anyways I can see I'm not saying what you want to hear so I will but out :-)"

 

 

Not at all. I,m saying i don,t want a prepayment meter and would rather be disconnect until the arrears are paid.

 

You said i do not have this choice and if they want to fit one they will even if i choose not to use their gas anymore.

 

Now you say they only disconnect if they cannot fit a meter.

Edited August 8, 2009 by wheresmyhairgone

[indebtstudent]

I am not aware of any facility to give you a preference for disconnection over prepayment. I agree this does sound strange, but looking at the bigger picture, IMO it would not be a good thing if they routinly cut people off.

 

I understand you are going through a very difficult time, as many people are but I strongly suggest you get some free advice from one of the charitable agencies.

 

When I did voluntary for for CAB they would list priority debts and Rent/mortgage, council tax, utilities. They are not given in any order because each can cause problems if not paid.

 

The prepayment option means no money no gas, but I would check out what the standing charge is as this could build up even if there is no usage.

 

In theory you could tell them the house was going to be domolished and so you need the suply disconnected, but telling a lie is not a good idea when you have a court date.

 

I would say the best you can do is present your case, ensure you've made the company aware of your circumstances in black and white. Explain to the judge what you have explained to us, that you want to pay but circumstances do not allow it.

 

I know its difficult but put yourself in the position of the business. Disconnection reduces thier changes of recovering the balance, a prepayment meter does not.

 

Also anyone new moving in, if it comes to that, may be bale to get the meter removed. Particularly if they have a payment history with a supplier at another address.

[wheresmyhairgone]

Hi indebtstudent

 

Thanks for the CAB advice, but i don,t need it. I have debts and i,m am paying them, maybe not at the rate they want, but i am paying them.

 

I,m not after running away from them, i understand there is a credit crunch and so should they.

 

I,m in the building trade and i,m owed money but i understand things are tight at the momment so there is no point in me threatening my debtors with court action ect. All that would do is force them into bankruptcy and then i get nothing, most of the company`s are limited. They will pay me when they can.

 

And thats what the utility companies need to understand.

 

my landline phone is cut of at the momment, my choice i have a mobile phone, so no sympathy needed.

 

My car and my wife`s car have been S.O.R.N. i can,t afford to run them at the momment, i still have my van to use, my choice, so no sympathy needed.

 

my daughter has a horse, but i can,t afford it at the momment so it is out on loan, my daughter understands, our chioce so no sympathy needed.

 

No family holiday this summer, our choice so no sympathy needed.

 

I can not afford my gas supply at the momment, i don,t want it. I want to pay what i owe them, then i,ll get it reconnected. (which will be cheaper then paying over inflated prepayment meter gas prices)

 

But i,m being told i have to have a gas supply, it is not my choice. I do not want Scottish Power to take advantage of my situation by fitting a prepayment meter that means i will have to pay more for their already overpriced product.

 

All my debts are my debts i will pay them as and when i can, unlike a very very small percentage of people on this site who think they can run away from their debts and other people can pay them i.e. me and you.

[mattlamb]

Maybe if you ask the courts for the supply to be disconnected, the courts would grant that? Mind you, you would probably have to pay a large connection charge to get your gas reconnected in your future when you have cleared the arrears.

Alternatively, you could ask for a prepayment meter to be fitted now and avoid the additional costs of a warrant. You don't actually have to use the gas. Not sure if you have to pay standing-charge on gas meters. If you do, maybe that would still be less than the additional costs of a warrant over the period it takes to clear the debt?