5 year old unpaid EON/Powergen bill

[Confused_Bec]

I'm hoping that someone can give me some advice, has experienced this situation.

 

Today, I was contacted by JBDR (Debt Recovery Company), stating that I have an unpaid Powergen/Eon bills from 01/07/04 - 01/09/05 - nearly £400. This is the first time I have heard that i was in arrears with a company. I also called EON to check that this wasn't a hoax and they also confirmed that I apparently owed money on this account.

 

The bill relates to a student house we rented when I was at University. I was at the property between 01/09/2004 - 20/06/05, though due to the time that has now elsapsed I do not have a copy of the contract still.

 

I definately remember setting up an account with Powergen/EON at the time and opted to be billed monthly/quarterly, I collected the cash from the girls I shared with and paid it in at the local post office using the paying in slip at the bottom of the bill. I always pay my bills early and have never missed a payment on anything! Again due to the amount of time that has passed I do not have any copies of the receipts!

 

EON are saying that for 15 months we didn't pay a electricity bill, though I recieved no correspondence from them stating they had not recieved payments and in that time, if we still had continued to use electricity and not paid the bill would EON have not just cut off the supply?

 

When I spoke with JBDR, I asked why no one had contacted me sooner, they said they had, and when asked which address this correspondence had been sent to it was the address I lived at five years ago while a student! After trying to get hold of me for just one year why didn't EON didn't just pick up the phone and call me? They obviously have my mobile number (which JBDR contacted me on) and it's the number I have never changed in 10 years!

 

So I'm at loss at what to do! I definately paid the bills though I have no evidence! I've asked for a breakdown of the arrears from JBDR as I'm going to refuse to pay any debt collection fees and I will also call EON again tomorrow and ask for copies of all the original correspondence to be sent to me, including all the bills I supposedly didn't pay.

 

I'm really unsure how I can prove that I paid, is it just a case of pay the money and let it be? I'm also worried that it's already affected my credit rating!

 

Any advise would very much be appreciated!

 

A very stressed and worried Bec

[Rhia]

For a start don't admit to anything as it is up to them to prove you owe this money. As it was a student house it could be a complete mistake. I would write a letter to both the debt company and Powergen and state you do not admit this debt (in large letters at the top of the letter) and challenge them to produce some evidence.

 

I think then I would send a Subject Access Request to Powergen asking for all the data they hold on you and the alleged bill and see what information they hold. It will cost you £10.

 

I don't think unpaid electric bills etc are shown on your credit report but send £2 to each Credit Reference Agency and ask for a copy of your report and you can see what damage has been done (or not as the case may be).

 

I also seem to think that if they haven't billed you within a year they can't bill you at all - have a look at Ofgen's website it should tell you. And don't worry I am sure you will be able to sort it all out.

Edited June 28, 2010 by Rhia

[zazen.warrior]

Post removed.

Edited July 29, 2010 by zazen.warrior

[dx100uk]

sadly you've broken the first rule of phishing letters

 

NEVER use the phone to talk to any one about old debts.

 

SRJ & quite a few of our favourite lowlife bottom feeding DCA's have recently brought a whole host of porfolios of old power company debts.

 

99% of these have been written off for tax purposes and become unrecoverable to the companies concerned

they then sell them on...hence the phishing letter you have got.

 

pers i'd totally ignore them now.

 

they've had their 15mins of fame from you

 

there is nowt they can do to you

 

 

you are prob only getting these letters too because its not too far away from being statute barred...and these are a last attempt to catch a mug with a letter designed to make you contact them..and you fell for it!!

 

e-on can only get back 1yrs money from todays date anyhow under the billing code ANd they would have to PROVE they sent you a bill in the last 12mts for ALL what you owe them to get that.

 

pers i'd ignore everyone.

 

it'll get passed on inthe list to a few more leechers but eventually it''ll go dead.

 

dx

[Confused_Bec]

Many thanks for the advice.

 

The only reason I phoned JBDR was to tell them to stop calling me and leaving no messages! I knew I should have just left it! Instead I got completely drawn in and then I panicked!

 

So, I should just ignore it and see if they pursit in getting their £400 and if they do I'll then ask them for evidence.

 

One more question, which is worrying me the most by doing nothing will this dent my credit rating?

 

Bec

[dx100uk]

i would very much doubt it.

 

if eon wanted their money then why did they not ask years ago?

why did it take a fleecing dca to 'remind' them?

so why would they now start a cra file on you?

 

typically the MAX time limit is 3-6mts after the last payment NOT 5yrs!! to put things on a file that i doubt has any such a/c listed.

 

phishing trip

 

let them waste ink.

 

dx

[zazen.warrior]

Post removed.

Edited July 29, 2010 by zazen.warrior

[dx100uk]

and then it will just be sold on, with no mention of the bug off letter, else the next fleecer would not buy it.

 

all you do by replying is get a marker that a mug exists that the next leech my convince to pay up.

 

ignore

 

dx

[Confused_Bec]

Just to say - I have posted the letter today to JBDR stating I want copies of all original bills and demands for the time period and also a copy of all transactions and information held on the EON account.

 

I've given them 7 days to get back to me, if not I consider the matter fully closed.

 

JBDR have tried calling me again this morning - which I ignored.

 

Again thanks for all the advice, fingers-crossed they don't get back to me and it all goes away!

 

Bec

[zazen.warrior]

Post removed.

Edited July 29, 2010 by zazen.warrior

[stevenwaddoups]

there is a very interesting thread around and i thank someone for answering Confused_Bec concerns, in it

 

i too have a similar issue and have posted on here but got no reply, so this is very handy as it came up in a google search,

 

a company formerly known as swalec, whom i believe went into liquidation now call themselves eastern energy,

and 3 yrs 3mnths after my last payment they send me a bill saying this is my january bill like i had one for the last 39 mnths too!

 

they are only asking for £60 which is better than becs £400.00,

so is it true that a year down the line they cant hassle you for the money!

last communique i had was october 2008 i believe and that was only a phone call to say can i make my normal monthly payment,

i left there service in 2007! very dear supplier.

 

it make sense what you say bout some one buying debt,

because the last entry on the statement on reverse of letter shows a £60 credit in oct 08,

i never received a credit, and that then puts my account in arrears,

could it be possible that the liquidation or whatever happened have wrote that debt off,

hence showing the credit! or could it be that eastern energy have paid the £60 for my debt and now entitled to it.

 

thanks in anticipation of some one reading an old post,

 

citizens advice opens at 10am, may try them,

 

cant anywhere with ofgem site

 

thanks

 

steve

[stevenwaddoups]

The code of Practice for Accurate bills (the Code) has been developed by the Energy Retail Association (ERA) with POwergen, British Gas, EDF Energy, nopwer and Scottish Power to address action raised in Ofgem's response to the Billing Super Complaint for domestic customers.

 

These companies all support the independantly-audited Code of Practice and are committed to the Code as a minimum standard of service for customers. The Code states that:

 

"From the 1st July 2006 where the supplier has been at fault in not billing a domestic customer the supplier will not send a bill which includes energy consumed more than 2 years previous to the bill being issued. From 1st July 2007 this period will reduce to 1 year" (Clause 3.5)

 

This Code is effective from 1 July 2006.

 

This policy does not apply to

Business customers

Customers paying on a prepayment meter (there is a seperate policy for PPM)

Customers obtaining energy illegally (e.g. interfering with their meter)

[dx100uk]

basically you owe nowt!

 

dx