Help please!-E-on threatening legal action

[shannonforbush]

Hi. I'm looking for urgent advice/help on dealing with my arrears with E-on and the fact that they've instructed a debt collection agency (or their own in-house team?) Energy Collection Services to settle the debt in the next seven days or face legal action.

 

The long story hopefully shorter is that for the past year I've been paying £150 a month by direct debit to cover usage and bring down my arrears and periodically they've asked me to pay more to bring down the arrears more quickly but my partner was made redundant and is starting up his own business and we can't afford more than what I'm paying. Now all of a sudden they're getting more aggressive - wouldn't accept my direct debit of £150 (they're asking for nearly double) but I've continued to pay it by standing order to show willing, and now I've received this letter threatening a doorstep visit and legal action. And all this is despite me letting them know that I'm seven months pregnant with twins and the main provider for a family of three, not to mention paying for my partner's maintenance for his children!

 

I haven't really been able to find which letters to use and in what order to take control of this situation so any advice and pointers would be most gratefully received.

 

Thanks,

[dx100uk]

dca's have no legal powers - ignore them.

 

fire off the no doorstep visitors letter if you want.

 

they are NOT bailiffs and can do nothing if they do turn up

 

tell them to go away or call the police!

 

dx

[zazen.warrior]

What you have received is notification of a pre-disconnection visit. This visit serves a duel purpose; firstly to request payment, and secondly to leave a 'Human Rights Letter' should the payment not subsequently be received.

 

This letter is required to be served upon you by law before they can seek a warrant to access your meter (in order to fit a prepayment meter, or to disconnect the supply.)

 

This is not something you should ignore as it relates to a live utility account and further action can be taken by the supplier in respect of the debt.

 

Unfortunately they will also charge you £30.00 for this visit.

 

Energy Collection Services are indeed in house.

[nottslad]

hi shannon, Zazen's advice is spot on, although the process is slightly different, if your account is currently with ECS, who are an in-house company of EON, then a visit will not have been raised yet.

 

Firstly, is your account billed to actual meter readings? Just check this as it may bring down the figure being quoted for a direct debit and possibly reduce the debt if it has been estimated.

 

It may be that your consumption (energy usage) is averaging more than £150 a month, which is why a DD at this level may not be acceptable. Have you considered having a prepayment meter fitted? the debt can be spread over a longer period of time and as such your repayments will be lower (typically £5 per week per fuel) and you keep on top of your energy usage.

 

Please rest assured that your supply will not be disconnected if there are children in the property, but eventually a prepayment meter may be fitted under a warrant of entry, which will cost £260. The only way to stop this is to have a prepayment meter fitted or come to an arrangement that both parties can accept.

 

Call EON on 0845 301 5866 to discuss further

[GamekeeperToPoacher]

Sorry Notts,

 

I have to disagree. The letter left is NOT usually the Human Rights letter. The HR letter is usually sent 14/21 days before the application for a warrant of entry and has to specify the time, date and court.

 

The rest of your reply is spot on.

 

GK

[nottslad]

there hasn't been a letter left gk, energy collection services purely operate over the telephone and by post, nothing else, a visit to the property will not have been raised yet if the account is with ECS. On a PDV visit, a letter is left advising of the intention to apply for a warrant, or 'notice of intent', and the visit takes place to ensure it is delivered.

[GamekeeperToPoacher]

Hi Notts,

 

That is correct, I have delivered hundreds in the past.

 

I would agree that the advice of a PPMis sound and if requested would save on the cost of installation and a very low rate of recovery can usually be negotiated.

 

 

GK

[nottslad]

not that i work for said company lol

but the proceses can be unfair and thats why sites like this need to continue

[shannonforbush]

Thanks for your help. I suppose the question is whether I'm supposed to be sending a CCA letter to Energy Collection Services? Or calling E-on direct to find out who exactly owns this debt so that I can take action with the right party?

 

I thought that E-on couldn't pass on my account to a debt collection agency when it was in dispute? Or is this wrong?

 

Thanks again,

[zazen.warrior]

A CCA letter would not be relevant in the case of a utility company, the account is still with Eon and will remain so while ever it is a live account.

 

What is the dispute?