Prepayment meters and Scottish Power

[ericsbrother]

get that in writing from EDF and let SP know you are minded to take them to court of they continue to threaten you.

[chiefmegawatty]

Thanks ericsbrother for your reply.

Unfortunately due to living on a very small private pension I couldn't possibly afford to take SP

to court. The law only seems to protect rich people and the removal of legal aid from most civil court

cases proves my point.

I always thought that having a prepayment meter and always keeping it well in credit would prevent

any unexpected bills.

Sadly SP have proved me wrong.

SP have now proved that you have to pay again for electricity you have already paid for even though you have all the receipts and your prepayment meter displays no debt.

I have no faith regarding the law in this country.

I expect I will be taken to court and issued with a CCJ even if I turn up with the receipts to prove I have paid.

On another thread of mine I have proved that HMRC consider a fake forged signature equally legally as valid as a genuine signature.

I therefore have no faith in the law and the justice system.

[chiefmegawatty]

This is interesting:

 

http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/house-garden-194/money-finance-entitlements-267/279283-prepayment-electricity-meter-final-bill-all.html

 

Seems that privatised power companies are as bent as a nine pound note.

[chiefmegawatty]

This is also interesting:

 

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2863376/I-happy-pay-owe-just-want-sorted-Fury-ScottishPower-fails-halt-bills-fiasco-not-answering-calls-stopping-overcharging-say-customers.html

[chiefmegawatty]

I have been with Scottish Power for many years.

Four years ago I changed over to prepayment meters for gas and electricity.

I always put credit on the meters at the end of the month when my pension came in.

I always kept plenty of credit on the meters, usually around £80.

I recently changed energy supplier to Economy Energy.

I have just received a bill from Scottish Power for £500 for my gas supply since having

the prepayment meter installed.

I contacted Scottish Power and asked them how I could possibly owe this money.

They said they had no record of me putting credit on my gas meter for the past two years.

I have kept every receipt for the last four years that proves I have topped up the meter every month and kept it well in credit all the time.

 

How can I be charged for gas that I allegedly haven't purchased knowing that the meter will cut the gas off when there is no credit on it?

Now if there had been no credit on my gas meter, the only debt that would accumulate would be the standing charge which would come to around £200 over two years.

Therefore how can Scottish Power charge me £300 for gas that I couldn't consume if there had been no credit on my meter?

I wonder why Scottish Power didn't write to me long ago if they were of the impression that I

hadn't put credit on my gas meter for the last two years.

Also it seems suspicious this has happened just when I change energy supplier.

The letter from Scottish Power mentions the addition of collection charges if I fail to pay this

alleged debt.

Thank goodness I have kept every receipt of payment since I converted to prepayment meters.

Therefore any impending court case will be interesting.

 

I'm sorry but I made a mistake in this original post. I should have said "electricity supply" not gas supply.

[chiefmegawatty]

Regarding my gas supply, sorry about my previous error, I have received a letter from Scottish Power demanding £23 for gas arrears regarding my standing charge.

My gas meter is prepayment and I have a Scottish Power prepayment card which they sent to me four years ago

when the prepayment meter was installed.

Since having the prepayment gas meter I have always kept a credit on it between £50 and £80.

Knowing that the standing charge is deducted from the credit on the meter, how on earth can I owe Scottish Power money for the standing charge?

I have annual statements from SP showing that I have always been in credit.

I am of the impression that Scottish Power should change their name to Braindead Power.

[chiefmegawatty]

I received a phone message from SP on 23/12/2015 stating that I don't actually owe them any money after all.

They discovered that all my payments were going to the wrong company (EDF).

I am still waiting for written conformation but no such letter has turned up.

SP must have known long ago that my paymenyts were going to EDF by mistake.

Therefore I am of the opinion that SP were trying it on to fiddle me out of £500 by sending

threatening letters regarding money I didn't owe them.

I won't feel that this issue is closed until I receive a letter stating that I owe them nothing.

[chiefmegawatty]

Despite Scottish Power telling me that I don't owe them any money, they are now after me again for money they said I didn't owe them. They have threatened me with enforcement action and a default on my credit record if I don't pay ! So much for pre-payment card gas meters. The bill states they did an estimated gas meter reading which was too low. This is insane, I'm on pre-payment and always kept loads of credit on the meter. What does an estimated reading on a pre-payment gas meter actually mean?

Surely Scottish Power are talking nonsense.

Amybody know what on earth is going on here?

[silverfox1961]

As you know what you know now and if you haven't done so, I would raise a complaint with SP spelling out in simple words what has gone wrong and how you expect SP to put it right.

this should be done in writing and sent by post. the letter should have Formal Complaint as its header.

 

Just one point on prepayment meters. Sometimes, when the prices go up, this is not transmitted to the key/card so you end up owing a small amount. This may be the reason.

[chiefmegawatty]

Thanks silverfox for your reply.

I will look into this.

I assume that if any price increases aren't transmited to the card that's Scottish Power's fault.

However, their claim was based upon an estimated reading which doesn't make sense.

[silverfox1961]

You could always give them an accurate reading or check to see how far out it is from their estimate.

 

I wouldn't accept anything is correct from SP until they provide accurate records of what has been paid and you compare it with your receipts

[chiefmegawatty]

You could always give them an accurate reading or check to see how far out it is from their estimate.

 

I wouldn't accept anything is correct from SP until they provide accurate records of what has been paid and you compare it with your receipts

 

I have all my receipts going back from the day I had the pre-payment meter installed.

Thank goodness I kept all of them.

I am happy and willing to appear in court with all my receipts.

However, should an appearance happen I have a surprise up my sleeve for Scottish Power.

I will be coming into a lot of money very soon which will enable me to easily afford a Barrister to fight my case.

I don't see how I can possibly loose as I have all my receipts and all the gas receipts show all my payments going to Scottish Power.

I think I should just keep quiet, let them take me to court and turn up with a Barrister and all my receipts.

[BazzaS]

I have all my receipts going back from the day I had the pre-payment meter installed.

Thank goodness I kept all of them.

I am happy and willing to appear in court with all my receipts.

However, should an appearance happen I have a surprise up my sleeve for Scottish Power.

I will be coming into a lot of money very soon which will enable me to easily afford a Barrister to fight my case.

I don't see how I can possibly loose as I have all my receipts and all the gas receipts show all my payments going to Scottish Power.

I think I should just keep quiet, let them take me to court and turn up with a Barrister and all my receipts.

 

You'll win the battle.

You might loose the war.

£500 claim? Small claims track, fixed costs.

You can pay for a barrister, but you won't get that money back.

[chiefmegawatty]

Here is a copy of the email I received from Scottish Power this afternoon.

 

Interesting to note they state they will add collection charges to my account even though their web site shows

my account as closed due to changing energy supplier months ago.

Their website also states they will be doing another estimated reading in March !!!!

I have now been proved correct in calling them brain dead power.

 

 

Make your final payment to avoid charges and credit default

Dear Mr Smith,

You still haven’t made your final gas payment. If you do not pay or make a repayment arrangement, we can register a credit default against you and add collection charges to your account.

Please make a payment online as soon as possible or by calling us on our 24 hour payment line on 0800 001 5115.

Or you can call us on 0800 027 0072 to discuss an affordable payment arrangement. We're open 8am - 10pm weekdays and 8.30am - 6pm on Saturday.

More ways to pay and what can happen if you don't pay can be found in My Messages.

Yours sincerely

Lynda Clayton

Customer Service Director

[mikeymack2002]

You may want to speak to the priority services team at EDF and ask them to intervene as you are retired.

 

I was with SP for all of five weeks when I moved here. I had the same issues too.

 

There is a nice person called Kim Roddis at EDF priority services that went above and beyond. The mess was sorted out.

 

Maybe it's time to switch supplier? But this will be difficult when there are issues on your account...

 

Also are you getting your winter payments?

[chiefmegawatty]

You may want to speak to the priority services team at EDF and ask them to intervene as you are retired.

 

I was with SP for all of five weeks when I moved here. I had the same issues too.

 

There is a nice person called Kim Roddis at EDF priority services that went above and beyond. The mess was sorted out.

 

Maybe it's time to switch supplier? But this will be difficult when there are issues on your account...

 

Also are you getting your winter payments?

 

Hi and thanks for your posting.

 

I changed from Scottish Power to Economy Energy back in October 2015.

That's when the trouble began.

There were no issues with my gas or electricity accounts at that time as I had plenty of credit on both prepayment meters.

I ran the credit down to about £5 on both meters before putting on new credit from Economy Energy.

Although being retired I am too young to receive any winter payments.

[chiefmegawatty]

Thanks for everybody's posts and comments.

I won't waste money using a Barrister thanks to Bazzas's advice.

When Scottish Power place a default on my credit report my credit rating will be destroyed

for six years. In placing the default on my credit record there will be no court case for me to defend

myself and present my receipts.

I'm sure that the credit reference agencies won't write to me asking if Scottish Power are correct before placing

a default on my credit record.

I therefore assume that my receipts are worthless and prove nothing in the eyes of the credit reference agencies.

When Scottish Power eventually take me to court and I turn up with all the receipts to prove I owe them nothing, what happens then?

Who will compensate me for a destroyed credit record for a debt I didn't owe?

[Leakie]

Hi there

 

I believe that your credit score can be restored

If Sp do not then why do you not go to the Energy Ombudsman, this will cost SP

I can not see how they would win,

then a correction would be put on your credit score.

I am sure I am correct but stand corrected by member more knowledgeable than my self,

 

leakie

[BazzaS]

Thanks for everybody's posts and comments.

I won't waste money using a Barrister thanks to Bazzas's advice.

When Scottish Power place a default on my credit report my credit rating will be destroyed

for six years. In placing the default on my credit record there will be no court case for me to defend

myself and present my receipts.

I'm sure that the credit reference agencies won't write to me asking if Scottish Power are correct before placing

a default on my credit record.

I therefore assume that my receipts are worthless and prove nothing in the eyes of the credit reference agencies.

When Scottish Power eventually take me to court and I turn up with all the receipts to prove I owe them nothing, what happens then?

Who will compensate me for a destroyed credit record for a debt I didn't owe?

 

What loss(es) would the incorrect credit record cause?.

THAT case might be worth pursuing with legal representation, if it wasn't confined to the small claims track.

That war you might win both that battle and that war.

 

BTW, the 'crying to the world that "X has become worthless"' is melodrama : melodrama doesn't serve you or anyone else well.

(You are claiming that your receipts will be worthless : they aren't : you could use them for a small claims track of the county court, it just isn't worth involving a barrister for that £500 case, it would be disproportionate)

You could use them in your "damaged credit report" case, that might be worth using a solicitor and / or barrister.

 

(You previously claimed that a signature has become worthless :

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?421865-HMRC-want-paying-for-WTC-joint-claim-my-wife-forged-my-sig&p=4810237#post4810237 )

 

In http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?430673-Home-rights-notice&p=4615851#post4615851 it was how your house had become "worthless" ..... and how you might bulldoze it.

 

what else are you likely to decide has become worthless?

[BazzaS]

Correction for typo:

 

That _way_ you might win both that battle and that war.

[chiefmegawatty]

What loss(es) would the incorrect credit record cause?.

 

1. High interest rates on credit cards and loans if you can obtain them.

2. Credit and loan applications will probably be refused.

3. Difficulty in renting a property.

4 Security deposits on utilities.

5. Unable to obtain a mobile phone contract.

6. Difficulty obtaining employment.

7. Higher insurance premiums.

8. Calls and letters from debt collectors.

9. Difficulty starting your own business.

10.Difficulty purchasing a vehicle.

 

I hope that fully answers your question.

 

Also when a creditor has placed a default on a credit record they can apply for a CCJ

against the debtor.

 

Seems to me that there are many losses and problems that a poor credit score can cause.

[chiefmegawatty]

You previously claimed that a signature has become worthless :

 

HMRC have set a precident implying that a forged signature is equally as valid as a genuine signature.

I believe that a forged signature is worthless.

Therefore according to HMRC a genuine signature worth no more than a forged signature.

[BazzaS]

What loss(es) would the incorrect credit record cause?.

 

1. High interest rates on credit cards and loans if you can obtain them.

2. Credit and loan applications will probably be refused.

3. Difficulty in renting a property.

4 Security deposits on utilities.

5. Unable to obtain a mobile phone contract.

6. Difficulty obtaining employment.

7. Higher insurance premiums.

8. Calls and letters from debt collectors.

9. Difficulty starting your own business.

10.Difficulty purchasing a vehicle.

 

I hope that fully answers your question.

 

Also when a creditor has placed a default on a credit record they can apply for a CCJ

against the debtor.

 

Seems to me that there are many losses and problems that a poor credit score can cause.

 

There are : but you can't claim for them until you've suffered them.

 

You can report the incorrect entry to the ICO, but a claim for damages suffered (not damages that MIGHT occurr) would yield a quicker result..

[chiefmegawatty]

In http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?430673-Home-rights-notice&p=4615851#post4615851 it was how your house had become "worthless" ..... and how you might bulldoze it.

 

I had the house valued recently by Taylors Estate Agents.

They said that I cannot sell the house until the Home Rights Notice is removed or permission

obtained from my wife.

I have written to my wife but no such permission has come forward and the Home Rights Notice remains

in force.

Therefore until this problem is resolved the house seems to be worthless.

The market value of anything is based upon how much a buyer is willing to pay

When the law prevents you from selling something then it's worthless until such time as the law

allows you to sell it.

 

"What else are you likely to decide has become worthless"?

 

I will have a think about it and let you know.

[silverfox1961]

The last few posts have been un approved as they offer nothing to this thread.

 

Please refrain from bashing each other. It is not needed nor wanted on a generally friendly forum