power2contact [dca-fake bailiff]+locksmith forced outer door for debt to Npower - is this legal?

[PhoXx1972]

I would like to know, if a bailiff has been given a warrant by a court, can they force entry into the property such as breaking the door down or smashing a window?

How can I tell if a warrant is the real deal?

Would I be wasting my time barricading the door so that a locksmith alone would be useless?

I have searched many of the forums and haven't yet found the specific answers.

 

Many thanks in advance.

[dx100uk]

VERY few electric one are actuals

they try and kid you

 

tell us about the debt.

 

and they are NOT bailiffs!!

 

dx

[dx100uk]

sorry i was a bit rushed earlier

 

are you SURE

this WAS a BAILIFF

with a valid warrant?

 

i really doubt this

and i would suspect its a DCA

 

with a 'fake' red letter trying to frighten you.

 

dx

[dx100uk]

can you tell us the history please

 

if its real and from the court

 

they can force entry to fit a pre-payment meter etc etc

 

but this is very very rare, unless you have not let a reader infor +24mts or did not attend the warrant hearing.

 

dx

[PhoXx1972]

I made a mistake in the title, I'm with Npower now not E:ON.

The company that turned up was called Power2Contact, they had a locksmith and got through the door to the porch and were about to try my front door.

They advised me that they had a warrant to change the gas meter. They showed me a piece of paper (not a red reminder) that may well have come from a court.

 

Now they are starting the same process for the electricity meter, though this time they seem to be advising me about it.

What I really want to know is whether they are allowed to physically break in with a warrant, by which I mean breaking a window or breaking down the door, as I have been barricading the door when I am in, which may be pointless.

[brassnecked]

Is there a disputed closing balance with EON, perchance, and you owe NPower nothing? Or is there other chances for a switch to have been messed up, and E:On think they are still your supplier.

[dx100uk]

yea i thought as much

 

i didn't say power2contact but i knew it wold be them.

 

ok

 

they have no poweres to do ANYTHING

 

they are a DCA

 

they wouldn't know the right end of a screwdriver

let alone be allowed to faff around with your electric meter

 

the 'letter' they had was just that..

 

a letter with pretty highlighted words that MAKE it look like a warrant.

 

its nowt of the sort and they safely be ignored!

 

just negoitate with whom you might owe the money too

 

start looking at the fuel poverty route too

 

if more than 10% of your income goes out on fuel bills

you WILL be entitled to a backdated reduced rate.

 

i'm going to rename the thread and move it to the utilities forum

 

dx

[dx100uk]

they can only force entry on safety grounds IF the meter has not been 'seen' by them for 24mts

they cannot force entry to 'change' the meter unless they have a signed warrant.

 

you just need to contest the warrant hearing and appear

 

i'll fwd you some info.

 

dx

[rebel11]

Hi colin

 

If you qualify you should ask to be put on their 'social tariff', they all have one.

 

http://www.npower.com/spreading_warmth/Content/Homepage/index.htm

[dx100uk]

Not sure if any of this could be of use:

 

From 1st October 2010, companies of the Scottish and Southern group:

 

•Atlantic Electric and Gas

•Southern Electric

•SWALEC and

•Scottish Hydro Electric

 

offer a three-tier package for customers who are vulnerable or in fuel poverty (i.e. spending 10% or more of their income on fuel).

 

 

 

What the package offers

 

 

 

First Tier

 

Customers who spend between 10% to 14% of household income on energy costs: a Winter Care Rebate of £50.00 per fuel.

 

 

 

Second Tier

 

Customers who spend between 15% to 19% of household income on energy costs: are offered either

 

•£100.00 rebate per fuel; or

•referral to their Community

interest

Company (CIC) for appropriate assistance (for example, a more detailed conversation to identify how to help that person in their situation) and, if they have an outstanding balance on their fuel account greater than the rebate, they will be encouraged to take it.

Third Tier

 

Customers who spend 20% or over of household income on energy costs will:

 

•qualify for the energyplus Care tariff. This gives a 30% reduction on their standard tariff rate.

•be referred to CIC for further support and assistance, depending on their circumstances.

CIC offers include:

 

•choice from a range of A-rated appliances

•a retail pack (a range of smaller products to help use energy efficiently in the home)

•benefit entitlement check and money advice (through a third-party partnership)

•detailed energy efficiency advice and help with additional energy efficiency measures.

 

Careline

 

 

 

Careline provides a team of specially trained advisers for:

 

•the elderly (over 60)

•people with disabilities

•the chronically sick

•the partially-sighted

•the blind

•the hearing-impaired and

•the deaf.

This service can provide:

 

•a freephone helpline with direct routing to an adviser

•a password scheme to confirm that meter readers and representatives are genuine

•a meter reading service

•free relocation of the meter where this is difficult to read for customers with an infirmity or a disability

•a Knock and Wait scheme which allows the customer time to answer their door

•advice on keeping warm, energy-efficient use of appliances and energy efficiency options generally and

•a free gas safety check.

 

********************

 

most other util co's do the same thing

 

dx

 

[dx100uk]

I made a mistake in the title, I'm with Npower now not E:ON.

The company that turned up was called Power2Contact, they had a locksmith and got through the door to the porch and were about to try my front door.

They advised me that they had a warrant to change the gas meter. They showed me a piece of paper (not a red reminder) that may well have come from a court.

 

Now they are starting the same process for the electricity meter, though this time they seem to be advising me about it.

What I really want to know is whether they are allowed to physically break in with a warrant, by which I mean breaking a window or breaking down the door, as I have been barricading the door when I am in, which may be pointless.

 

history on this please

 

have you consistantly ignored letters etc etc

from Npower...

 

were you informed of the hearing date when the warrant [if it was one] was being applied for?

 

i suspect [only] that if they have forced any doors that this is not legal.

 

please tell us the story

 

dx

[dx100uk]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2010/04/breaking_and_metering.html

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?244078-power2contact-letter-today

 

dx

[PhoXx1972]

They did ask for payment which I could not afford after losing my job, and at £65pw Jobseekers allowance I could ill afford future payments.

A year on they appear to obtained a warrant without any kind of notice to myself about court dates regarding the gas supply.

Now they want to come again 3 months later to swap out the electricity meter.

 

I would like to know if they can break in through a window or smash the door down if I barricade it, assuming they have a warrant.

 

I will look into the social tariff a bit more though, perhaps circumvent their actions, though my finances haven't improved much, £67.50pw

[dx100uk]

you will be classed as vunderable, esp with kids in the house - though you should not have let things get this far.

 

contact them NOW about the social tarrif

 

power2contact ARE NOT COURT BAILIFFS

 

they [nor any locksmith] can force ANY entry by ANY method.

 

you have a RIGHT to be informed when/if a warrant is applied for

 

IF you get a notice GO TO THE COURT

 

you dont have to do anything bar turn up

warrant never get approved with the punter there, esp in your financial circumstances.

 

you should be seriously looking to complain about the actions so far [forced entry. no court advance warning etc etc]

 

i very very much doubt that what they had WAS a WARRANT OF ENTRY

 

if it was then they would have to of had a court bailiff with them.

 

if you get no offer of compensation then goto OFGEM or the energy ombudsman

 

but first YOU MUST get this poverty / social tariff moving

 

dx

[PhoXx1972]

I have hit a brick wall with the social tariff, Npower state that I have to be referred by approved agencies. Who are the approved agencies?

[RonSeal]

Just to clarify the warrant point for Colin Dearman.

 

A Court Officer is not required to attend your property.

 

If the utility company obtain a warrant of entry from your local court, they are entitled to force entry to your property.

This will involve a locksmith and as they must leave the property secure, they will not smash windows etc.

Locks will be picked or drilled out and replaced, keys being held by the locksmith until the occupant returns and contacts the company.

Barricading your door may delay action on that occasion, but will not prevent it and you cant live barricaded in your house for ever.

When the warrant is granted, the warrant officer can request police assistance to prevent a breach of the peace, they will not enforce the warrant, but will prevent yourself or other third parties from obstructing the warrant officer/engineer.

 

Power-2-Contact are a DCA but they also employ Warrant Officers who are authorised to obtain and action Rights of Entry warrants granted by the court.

 

It is definitely worth attending court, a letter must be delivered to your property at least 14 days prior to the hearing, inviting you to attend.

 

Turning up at court will not ensure the warrant is not granted, if the court feel there is no legitimate reason why you cannot have a Pre-Payment meter and you are unable to offer a financial solution that will at least cover usage if not the debt, then the court may still grant the warrant.

 

If you are on Benefits they will ask you to consider Fuel Direct, a scheme where money is taken directly from your benefits and paid on your behalf to the energy company, the benefits agency will choose how much you can afford per week.

 

The social tariff is part of the Fuel Direct scheme, the Benefits Agency will deal with that on your behalf.

 

Keep talking to the company, i would suggest you accept pre-payment meters now, prior to warrant action, charges per warrant exceed £300 and will be placed onto your final bill.

 

My advice is, if you agree you are responsible for the outstanding bill/s, request PPM now, set repayment rate at the lowest they offer (usually £5 a week) and bite the bullet.

 

Consider a PPM an interest free loan, if you owe £1000 you pay it off at £5 per week until it is cleared, no interest, no charges for fitting the PPM and no threat of people entering your home at any time.

 

If you dispute the amount / period charged for / meter serial / or supplier mix up, take all evidence to court with you and present it to the Magistrate / District Judge.

 

Personally, i work in this field for a UK energy company and trying to provide advice that will save you money in the long run.

 

And yes, all Energy Suppliers in the UK are ripping us off price wise, i just cant do much about it.

[dx100uk]

thank you ronseal

 

great post

 

dx

[PhoXx1972]

Yes, thankyou for that, I am not disputing the amount, I have just found myself unable to pay the £70 per month for the utilities from my basic benefit money.

I don't think that I have any grounds for preventing the installation of a prepayment meter, I just won't be able to afford it.

The gas prepayment meter takes £3 per week for the debt, and seems to accrue if you miss a week, now if I put on £5, I get about £1.30p towards gas, and I can't throw away money like that for no return and will probably end up without gas.

It seems that I don't fit the criteria for their social tariff scheme.

[mercyblue]

pre payment gas meters are usually set to take up to 70% so if you put a £5 you should be left with £1.50. That said mine was supposed to take £6 a week but was taking £1.70 a day took about 5 phone calls and three visits to get that sorted.

[dx100uk]

pre payment meters should be set at a level agreed by the debtor and ESP if on benefits not more than poss £10

 

dx