resolvecall - court threat letter scottish power 'debt'

[Surfer01]

We have a one bedroom bungalow with storage heating. Our bill was in excess of £110 per month during the winter months as we had 2 storage heaters out of 4 going on E7. We have now switched to E10 giving off peak from 12am - 5am, 1pm - 4pm and 8pm - 10pm. We purchased a gas heater and now have only one storage heater on during the day in winter and the rest switched off. The gas refill is about £28 and a 15kg bottle lasts about 6 weeks. Although our electric bill has now dropped to about £85 per month during winter, during summer it is well below £50 per month!

[jimbo45]

Hi there

slightly OT but often these bungalows tend to have fairly poor insulation which is probably why you had bills of that amount.

In general as well Electric Storage Heaters are a fairly expensive way of heating a house.

 

I think there are a lot of grants around now to enable people to have proper insulation fitted. OK I know this is Off topic but keeping utility bills down is more important than ever in an area of rising costs and diminishing income.

 

Cheers

jimbo

[flexeh]

i live in a 2 bedroom flat, all electric, afaik im on E7 ive programmed my boiler to come on for 1 hour everyday at like 4:30am-5:30am and sometimes have 2 storage heaters on to dry my washing at night, the only thing i do wrong is often doze off with the tv on, but surely a tv dont use that much.

[Surfer01]

Hi there

slightly OT but often these bungalows tend to have fairly poor insulation which is probably why you had bills of that amount.

In general as well Electric Storage Heaters are a fairly expensive way of heating a house.

 

I think there are a lot of grants around now to enable people to have proper insulation fitted. OK I know this is Off topic but keeping utility bills down is more important than ever in an area of rising costs and diminishing income.

 

Cheers

jimbo

Appreciate your reply. Bungalow is well insulated with cavity and loft insulation, but is housing association bungalow. With storage heaters you can expect to pay very close to £100 during the winter months especially if the weather does turn really cold.

Flexeh a TV will use very little electric. If it is possible, do a reading at about 08:15 in the morning and again at the same time the next day. This will tell you the number of units used during the peak times. If you can do this for several days and then average it out, all the better. Ours works out about 8 units a day average at 13p per unit. Your meter should also allow you to se the off peak units and you can take off peak readings at the same time and also average them out over several days. Ours is close to 40 units off peak per day at a cost of about 7p a unit.

This should then give you a pretty good picture of your costs and if you can cut down somewhere. Keep us updated.

[flexeh]

what ill do tonight is do a meter reading at 7pm and then one at 7am, with 1 storage heater and the boiler on during the set times, and obviously the tv usage, and minimal things like charging my phone to get a rough idea what a night costs. will post readings tomorrow, i appreciate everyones help and advice

[Surfer01]

what ill do tonight is do a meter reading at 7pm and then one at 7am, with 1 storage heater and the boiler on during the set times, and obviously the tv usage, and minimal things like charging my phone to get a rough idea what a night costs. will post readings tomorrow, i appreciate everyones help and advice

Unfortunately that will tell you nothing as one reading at 7pm will be for the peak time reading and the other will be for off peak reading. Your E7 shoudl be operational from 12am until 8am. Your hot water boiler shoudl onoy run from about 3am until about 8am. As it has a thermostat it will switch on and off so once it reaches it temperature it will nto consume much electric.

Hopefully you are aware that you have will have two displays for meter readings. One for peak and the othe for off peak.

[flexeh]

yeah a few months ago they fitted a digital without me knowing, i did wonder why my computer had gone off and i lost my work...

[Surfer01]

Digitals are easier to read than the old ones as all you do is press the button until "2" comes up for off peak. It might be worth your while checking a reading in the morning after 8am and then again a few hours later to make sure that the reading has advanced confirming peak readings.

Edited January 27, 2011 by Surfer01

[Bazooka Boo]

I'm, glad you managed to contact SP direct, and bring this back in house as it were, although I am not entirely confident they should be telling you what to pay each month?

[jimbo45]

Hi there

just to re-iterate --make sure that all ARREARS payments go back to the ENERGY SUPPLIED bill and NOT THE "Collection Charges".

 

You can deal with these charges clater -- but once you've paid the backlog of the amount for Energy Supplied you CANNOT be DISCONNECTED.

 

My whole take on "Excessive Collection Charges" is just to tell them to FOXTROT OSCAR and see what they do. They can't discconect your supply.

 

I've had 2 or 3 CCJ's from YORKSHIRE WATER because I've TOTALLY REFUSED to pay a 50 GBP "Solicitors Bill" on a 65 GBP debt -- why on earth they would even bother start collecting at that amount beggars belief especially as they know I work long periods overseas -- So I've just REFUSED to pay up. (Not the Water Bill but the "Collection Fees").

 

I even went to Court to contest "Disproportionate Charge on Debt" but the Lickspittle judge who obviously uses the same Lodge as the Yorkshire Waters Solictor Firm said this was a "Commercial Charge" and therefore couldn't be challenged in THIS COURT - although it could go further -- but I think I know when enough is enough in "The Old Boy Network".

 

A Charging order for 50 GBP would just be laughed out of court - especially with HUGE BONUSES being paid to the CEO's of this company.

 

It's not that the debt was large anyway --but I am getting 100% SICK of being ripped off by "exhorbitant fees" and the like. I don't care about Credit References etc as I've long since torn up my credit cards but I AM NOT PAYING 50 GBP CHARGE ON A 65 GBP DEBT and I DON'T CARE HOW MANY CCJ'S THEY ATTEMPT.

 

Like the Frogs " Aux les barricades" ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AND I'VE HAD IT.

 

Cheers

jimbo

[ScottishPower Company Rep]

Hi jimbo45

 

Just wanted to comment on your post No. 26 - The £3.30 debt recovery rate is not an interest rate added to the debt you owe. This is how much you are paying back per week towards the outstanding balance. No interest charge is added to debt that you owe to ScottishPower.

 

Just wanted to clear that one up.

 

Kind Regards

 

Colin @ ScottishPower

[ScottishPower Company Rep]

Hi flexeh

 

Remember I am here if you want me to provide you with additional information regarding your account. I can provide to you a consumption table which will highlight your average daily use based only on the accurate meter readings we have obtained. This can be good to highlight any periods of the year when your consumption drastically changes.

 

Kind Regards

 

Colin

[ScottishPower Company Rep]

Hi Bazooka Boo

 

Hope you can help clarify your post No. 37 as I am a little confused. Who should be responsible for telling the customer how much to pay each month if it is not the current supplier who has access to the customers consumption and current tariff rates?

 

Kind Regards

 

Colin

[Bazooka Boo]

Yes Colin I shall, (after re-reading what I said!)

 

I understand what you are saying and of course you are right in that SP will know what tariff & consumption rates the customer is on/using.

 

However IF the customer cannot afford to pay what SP state each week/month in order to get back on top of their payments, then SP or any creditor for that matter, must be open to proposals for realistic payments toward the debt.

 

I am on a fixed income, and have to allocate/budget my money accordingly, so SSE receive £50 a month, if they then turn round and say I owe £300, then I am only able to add an extra £10 a month to my usual payments, no ifs no buts, that is how it is. They do not know of my income so in reality aren't making informed decisions regarding payments.

 

So it might be that the OP whilst having agreed to pay the amount requested by SP, is going to let something else slip or get into difficulty some other way. It would be completely different if the OP wasn't paying at all, I just feel that those who have fallen behind for whatever reason should be asked, instead of told what to pay, if it takes longer, then it takes longer.

[ScottishPower Company Rep]

Hi Bazooka Boo

 

I understand what you mean. In circumstances like this, I would try to clarify to the customer how much electricity is being used on a monthly basis to see how this compares to what the customer can afford. For example, if you are using £60.00 per month yet can only afford to pay £50.00 per month, then we can look at all areas and see if we can bill the account on a better tariff to reduce the charges, offer energy efficiency advise which will help lower the consumption, to see whether we can match the level of payments with the consumption.

 

The difficulty is always when we cannot match the payments with the consumption, and as a result an outstanding balance accrues on the account. If the consumption remains at a steady level and does not decrease, then we would then need the payments increased to cover ongoing use and increased again to repay the outstanding balance. The advantage you have with Prepayment meters is that this method of payment does not allow debt to be accrued as the gas/elec is used as the consumer can afford. When customers do not pay or stick to a monthly Direct Debit plan, this is when the debt on the account can get to an unmanageable level.

 

Let me know your thought and any proposals you may have for customers who are unable to pay for the level of gas and electricity they are currently using. This information can be fed back into the business to review our processes.

 

Kind Regards

 

Colin @ ScottishPower

[Bazooka Boo]

Hello Colin, a very good point you make, it's good to see it from all angles. I wonder if you might be able to advise as to whether or not there is such a thing as having to 'rent' your PAYG meter? ie, does some of the money you put on your key and into the meter go toward renting the key meter or does it all go toward the current usage? (except of course where you are already trying to pay off an accrued bill)

 

I had a PAYG key meter and was more than happy using this as I could keep a very close eye on my usage and how much I was spending, I was then housebound, so couldn't get out to top up my key, and there are only so many times you can ask your neighbours to do so for you.

 

So I requested the meter be replaced and I would set up a DD, although I budget and pay £50 a month anyway to SSE, this then has the desired effect of accruing a healthy credit which covers the colder winter period where my electricity usage shoots up, due to storage heaters and dark days.

 

This also has the undesired effect that I cannot keep a close eye on my usage, and if I were ever to run up a large bill, as happened last year, it would be impossible for me to pay anything more than £10 extra per month.

 

I was also unaware of these social tariffs, something which SSE don't seem to disclose as much as they should, it took a lot of digging to find the correct application form.

I don't really have any good suggestions as to combat those who are using more than they can afford, just that they need to be made aware that there are these social tariffs out there, also there is help from third parties who can assist in paying the bill, and that PAYG key meters are possibly the best way to go about assisting those who might be susceptible to accruing a large bill, subject to my initial question regarding key meters.

 

What about a simple questionnaire asking new customers for a little bit of back ground? Are they in full/part time work?

Are they in receipt of benefits?

Would they like information on different tariffs?

And information about the different charities available to assist them in either dealing with large bills, or assisting them to pay them.........

[ScottishPower Company Rep]

Hi Bazooka Boo

 

All meters have a maintenance charge. It will be collected through a daily standing charge if you are on an appropriate tariff, or it will be collected through a Primary rate, if you are on a no standing charge tariff.

 

I'll feed your comments back.

 

Kind Regards

 

Colin @ ScottishPower

Edited February 2, 2011 by ScottishPower Company Rep

[Bazooka Boo]

Ah, understood now, cheers Colin.

[ScottishPower Company Rep]

Anytime Bazooka Boo

[flexeh]

Recieved this letter today about an outstanding electric bill.

 

personally i dont believe the amount to be correct and i am not sure exactly how much i believe i owe, as at one point i got myself in a bit of a mess with the electric and was paying £140 a month for quite a while to help with the debt.

 

Also theres no dates on the letter of the debt, only a general supply period from when i first had supply until about 2 weeks after i moved out!.

 

ive attached a copy of the letter.

 

Surely scottish power need my permission to pass my details to someone else under data protection? also i like how BC&W have added 264£ of "Administration Costs which is 35% to compensate our clients for costs incurred in recovering this debt"

 

can anyone advise the best way to approach this and if they actually have a right to do "Legal Proceedings".

 

Thanks guys.

 

Edit: attachment unreadable heres the image (sorry if im not meant to put an image on like this)

Edited September 22, 2012 by flexeh

[dx100uk]

load of cobbres!!

 

they can't charge anything

yo prob dont even owe anything

 

how old is this debt please?

 

dx

[flexeh]

well like i said im unsure,

as i got myself in a mess when i lived there,

but i was paying about 140 a month in like 2008/2009 to help clear arrears i had.

 

i lived there as per the supply date 04 untill 11

But not sure what the final amount was or if i had paid it off with Scottish power.

 

By the way DX was just reading a post just and you gave great advice

(the one about the guy on benefits who had blackhorse, experian and equifax issues with default dates)

 

so im hoping you can help.

[dx100uk]

ok well we have scottish power on board here

 

so that'll help.

 

just trying to nail down a few more facts.

 

so's you've not lived there since XX/2011

 

did SP know you'ed moved out and did you give them a final read and pay a final bill?

 

dx

[flexeh]

i think my last conversation with them was a heated one, and i think i told them to go do one as im moving out on such and such a date (believe it to be around the 18th May 2011)., i had lost a family member and head was a mess, and was in debt with a few things.

 

and i think (not 100% sure tho) that i submitted a reading on the web, but i did give the council the last readings.

 

obviously worrying about it now as getting that letter, as alots changed got a family and that now and also been working hard repairing my credit file. so letters kinda knocked me for six. However there is nothing on my CRA about this debt

Edited September 22, 2012 by flexeh

[dx100uk]

util bill dont often show on cra.

 

ok

so odds on you poss owe something,

and as they did not have an address

they sat on it

then fwded it out on a phishing list.

 

as i've already said

 

BCW have NO legal remit to add anything!

 

this smells.

 

dx

 

 

 

dx