£500 a month energy bills predicted in January - is this breaking point?

ThatFragranceGuy said:
They will, they'll eventually just get a warrant and force fit a prepayment meter if you are consistently in debt and not making arrangements to pay, then you have to add credit to use it and it will garnish the credit you add to device the debt automatically.
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He's not saying he won't pay it, he's saying he won't service it at the levels the utility company 'suggest'.
 
ThatFragranceGuy said:
They will, they'll eventually just get a warrant and force fit a prepayment meter if you are consistently in debt and not making arrangements to pay, then you have to add credit to use it and it will garnish the credit you add to device the debt automatically.
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Wrong. As long as you are paying direct debit payments every month they cannot force fit a pre payment meter. Energy companies would rather customers pay something then nothing at all.

People genuinely think they will be paying £500 for just gas and electric in January without intervention from government or OFGEM?

Bless.
 
Randy said:
Wrong. As long as you are paying direct debit payments every month they cannot force fit a pre payment meter. Energy companies would rather customers pay something then nothing at all.

People genuinely think they will be paying £500 for just gas and electric in January without intervention from government or OFGEM?

Bless.
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Hope you’re right but it’s very optimistic expecting much practical help from this government
 
Nosmo-King said:
I heard about a third of the population have LESS than £500 savings. My heart genuinely goes out to those in such a position. The future is, I’m afraid, decidedly bleak for so many people.
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It's worse than that. 20% of people have less than £100. That was last year. I presume that number is only going one way
 
JM14 said:
You would expect but this country seems to be extremely tolerant when it comes to mass civil unrest. The government/media have us blaming each other before we turn our attention to those that really cause the problems
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When it starts to affect the every day man and woman severely enough it'll kick off.

Look at the riots in Tottenham all those years ago because of the police **** ups. There aren't enough coppers in the country to stop the population from getting their point across.
 
Nosmo-King said:
Frightening - truly frightening.
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I've got fook all savings & a credit card with £2.6k on it! But i live a rich lifestyle! By end of September i'll have been abroad five times this yr! Thing is, i know i'm lucky BUT i work hard for this lifestyle & if these fiends take it away with their abhorrent price rises, then i really hope there is an uprising & i'd be prepared to get involved! With 411% increases in profits this yr alone they are basically laughing at us! This can't be allowed to continue!
 
ThatFragranceGuy said:
They will, they'll eventually just get a warrant and force fit a prepayment meter if you are consistently in debt and not making arrangements to pay, then you have to add credit to use it and it will garnish the credit you add to device the debt automatically.
Click to expand...
If the prices get as high as predicted it will take years to get warrants and fit pre payment meters as so many will not be paying. It would see non payment of bills on a scale that's almost unimaginable.
 
Randy said:
When it starts to affect the every day man and woman severely enough it'll kick off.

Look at the riots in Tottenham all those years ago because of the police **** ups. There aren't enough coppers in the country to stop the population from getting their point across.
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You’re probably right, shame the majority haven’t been bothered enough to make a fuss when this government has been making like progressively worse for the lowest earners for the last 12 years, still find it hard to believe the majority have actually voted for this but it might change peoples perspectives when we’re all going to be suffering
 
Colgates_shaving_foam said:
If the prices get as high as predicted it will take years to get warrants and fit pre payment meters as so many will not be paying. It would see non payment of bills on a scale that's almost unimaginable.
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So it takes years and people get CCJ's and credit file impacts for the next 6 years after? To pay the debt that they would have owed anyway? What's the benefit again?
 
Randy said:
Wrong. As long as you are paying direct debit payments every month they cannot force fit a pre payment meter. Energy companies would rather customers pay something then nothing at all.

People genuinely think they will be paying £500 for just gas and electric in January without intervention from government or OFGEM?

Bless.
Click to expand...

Electricity Supply Standard Licence Conditions , conditions 27.5 and 27.6​

27.5 The licensee must offer each of the services set out in paragraph 27.6 when it becomes aware or has reason to believe that a Domestic Customer is having or will have difficulty paying all or part of the Charges..

27.6 The services referred to in paragraph 27.5 are:

(a) the facility for a Domestic Customer to pay Charges:
(i) by using, where available, a means by which payments may be deducted at source from a social security benefit received by that customer;
(ii) by regular instalments calculated in accordance with paragraph 27.8 and paid through a means other than a Prepayment Meter; and
(iii) by using a Prepayment Meter, where it is safe and reasonably practicable in all the circumstances of the case for the Domestic Customer to do so and where any instalments to be paid are calculated in accordance with paragraph 27.8; and

(b) the provision of information about how the Domestic Customer could reduce the Charges for the Supply of Electricity that he must pay by using the electricity supplied to his premises more efficiently.

Gas Supply Standard Licence Conditions , conditions 27.5 and 27.6​

These contain the same wording for gas.


Electricity Supply Standard Licence Conditions , conditions 27.9, 27.9A​

27.9 The licensee must not Disconnect a Domestic Premises at which the Domestic Customer has not paid Charges unless it has first taken all reasonable steps to recover those charges by means of the service referred to in sub-paragraph 27.6(a)(iii).

27.9A For the purposes of conditions 27.9, 27.10, 27.11 and 27.11A, Disconnection includes:

(a) Credit Limiting where:
(i) it amounts to stopping the supply to the Domestic Premises; and
(ii) the Domestic Customer does not pay Charges by using a Prepayment Meter; and

(b) Load Limiting where:
(i) the supply to the Domestic Premises is significantly constrained; and
(ii) the Domestic Customer does not pay Charges by using a Prepayment Meter or, where the Domestic Customer pays using a Prepayment Meter, that meter remains for the time being, in credit.

Gas Supply Standard Licence Conditions , conditions 27.9, 27.9A​

27.9 The licensee must not Disconnect a Domestic Premises at which the Domestic Customer has not paid Charges for the Supply of Gas unless it has first taken all reasonable steps to recover those charges by means of the service referred to in sub-paragraph 27.6(a)(iii).

27.9A For the purposes of conditions 27.9, 27.10, 27.11 and 27.11A, Disconnection includes Credit Limiting where:
(i) it amounts to stopping the supply to the Domestic Premises; and
(ii) the Domestic Customer does not pay Charges for the Supply of Gas by using a Prepayment Meter.



Electricity Act 1989, schedule 6, section 2​

(1) Where a customer has not, within the requisite period, paid all charges due from him to an electricity supplier in respect of the supply of electricity to any premises or the provision of an electricity meter, the supplier may—
(a) install a pre-payment meter on the premises; or
(b) disconnect the premises,
and the supplier may recover any expenses incurred in so doing from the customer.

(2) The power of a supplier under sub-paragraph (1)(a) or (b) may not be exercised—
(a) as respects any amount which is genuinely in dispute (disregarding for this purpose a dispute under section 39 or regulations made under it); and
(b) unless not less than seven working days’ notice has been given to the occupier of the premises (or the owner of the premises if they are unoccupied) of his intention to exercise it.

(3) In this paragraph the “requisite period” means the period of 28 days after the making by the supplier of a demand in writing for payment of the charges due.

Gas Act 1986, schedule 2b, section 7​

(1) Sub-paragraphs (3) and (4) below apply where—
(a) a demand in writing is made by a gas supplier for the payment of any of the charges due to him from a consumer in respect of the supply of gas to any premises of his (in this paragraph referred to as “the premises ”); and
(b) the consumer does not pay those charges within 28 days after the making of the demand.

(2) Sub-paragraph (3) below also applies where—
(a) a request in writing is made by a gas supplier for the provision of a deposit by way of reasonable security for the payment of the charges due to him from a consumer in respect of the supply of gas to the consumer’s premises; and
(b) the consumer does not provide such a deposit, or agree to take his supply through a pre-payment meter, within 7 days after the making of the request.

(3) If the supplier is a relevant supplier, he may, after giving not less than 7 days’ notice of his intention—
(a) install a pre-payment meter on the premises in place of the existing meter; or
(b) cut off the supply to the premises by disconnecting the service pipe at the meter or by such other means as he thinks fit;
and the supplier may recover any expenses incurred in so doing from the consumer.

(4) If—
(a) the supplier is not a relevant supplier but another supplier (“the new supplier”) is such a supplier; and
(b) the supplier has assigned to the new supplier his right to recover any of the charges due to him from the consumer,
sub-paragraph (3) above shall apply as if any reference to the supplier were a reference to the new supplier.

(5) The powers conferred by sub-paragraphs (3) and (4) above shall not be exercisable as respects any charges or deposit the amount of which is genuinely in dispute.


Your gas or electricity supplier might tell you they’re going to move you to prepayment if you owe them money.

When you can refuse to be moved to prepayment​

Your supplier can’t make you move to prepayment if it wouldn’t be safe or practical. This means you can refuse to move to prepayment if an illness or disability means you’d be harmed if your gas or electricity was cut off. You can also refuse if you wouldn't be able to get to or use your meter.

Your supplier also has to follow rules set by Ofgem, the energy regulator. These rules mean your supplier can’t make you move to prepayment if:

  • you don’t agree that you owe them money, and you’ve told them this - for example if the debt came from a previous tenant
  • they haven’t offered you other ways to repay money you owe - for example a repayment plan or payments through your benefits
  • they come to your home to install a prepayment meter without giving you notice - at least 7 days for gas and 7 working days for electricity
  • they haven’t given you at least 28 days to repay your debt before writing to you to say they want to move you to prepayment
Tell your supplier if any of these apply. If they still want to move you to prepayment, you should complain to get them to change their mind.

If you’re disabled or ill​

Your supplier can’t make you move to prepayment if you:

  • are disabled in a way that makes it hard to get to, read or use the meter
  • have a mental health condition that makes it hard to get to, read or use the meter
  • have an illness that affects your breathing, such as asthma
  • have an illness that’s made worse by the cold, such as arthritis
  • use medical equipment that needs electricity - for example a stairlift or dialysis machine
Tell your supplier if any of these apply. If they still want to move you to prepayment, you should complain to get them to change their mind.

You should also ask to be put on your supplier’s priority services register - you could get extra help with your energy supply.

If you wouldn’t be able to get to your meter or top it up​

Your supplier can’t make you move to prepayment if it would be too hard for you to top up your meter. Tell your supplier if:

  • your current meter is hard to reach - for example if it's above head height
  • you can’t always get to your current meter - for example if it’s in a shared cupboard you don’t have a key for
  • it would be hard to get to a shop where you could top up your meter - for example if you don’t have a car and the nearest shop is over 2 miles away
There might be ways around problems like these. For example, your supplier might move your meter or let you top up online.

You should complain to your supplier if they can't solve one of these problems but still want to make you move to prepayment. If your complaint succeeds they won’t make you move to prepayment.

You could pay more if you refuse without a reason​

If none of the reasons on this page apply to you, your supplier is allowed to make you move to prepayment. If you don't agree to this, they can get a warrant to enter your home and install an old-style prepayment meter or change your smart meter to the prepayment setting - this could cost up to £150. They’ll add the cost of the warrant to the money you owe them.
 
Nano said:
It's worse than that. 20% of people have less than £100. That was last year. I presume that number is only going one way
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Do you know what that was based on @Nano ?

Is that 'savings' as in cash in the bank not in a current account, or did it include any of; equity in a property, private pensions or shares etc?
 
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