Tuesday 3 March 2009

Carefully read your mail

Not the junk perhaps but everything else.

I had a couple of bills come though. One for gas and one for electric, both from the same supplier. I noted the usage but made no move to pay them as I pay by direct debit and these were obviously for information only. Only apparently I don't. The payments coming out of my account were for an old energy agreement & have now been returned. These bills actually needed paying but didn't get my attention until I received a final notice for them. I paid immediately and the money has cleared from my bank. Today I had a letter saying pay up or court, with another amount added for administration. I emailed to explain that I had paid the bills several days before they had sent the court letter. It remains to be seen if my slack attitude to checking my bills this has cost me any money. This is a big disadvantage to changing my energy supplier so often. I get confused about what is due to whom.

I will certainly be more careful in future.

3 comments:

  1. Scary! Would they shut off your power? I read about a man with dementia in the US who froze to death because he didn't remember to pay his bill. Do they take you to court instead? Good thing you caught it before it was too late.

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  2. Whoa! That's scary and something I bet lots of people have gotten themselves into a pickle over.

    It's when I hear stories like yours that I'm actually glad to be on a prepayment meter.

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  3. I think that they take ou to court for a money judgement but I dont think they cut off the power. I am pretty sure it would be covered by EU human rights legislation.
    Scary how easy it is to do & I'm an accountant!

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