Dear LPG, 

I know that it must have been said many times before but I just want to remind readers who pay any bills by direct debit not to set them up and then just forget them.  

I pay most of my bills in this way and, I supposed that it could have come from any of my main utility providers but, not so long ago, I received a letter from my gas and electricity suppliers which informed me that, in spite of my  direct debit payments, I was in debt to the tune of about £5.00 at end the of each month.  The letter went on to tell me that they would be putting my direct debit payment up by £50.00  per month to make up the deficit.

I did some maths and realised that this would leave me paying an extra £45.00 a month more to make up that shortfall which did not seem right to me, so I phoned them and pointed this out.  In the end a reasonable increase of £20.00 was agreed upon, but if I had not made the call I would have been paying what I think is an unreasonably large amount extra to cover a small amount of arrears.

I have only got my own experiences to draw from but, please readers, can I remind you how important it is to read the small print when you get these letters, and if you really don’t understand; phone, wait and keep asking questions until you do.  I also strongly suggest that if you can, you have two very important bits of equipment available to you before you dial their number.  Firstly, have a pen and a piece of paper at the ready and don’t hesitate to make the advisor wait while you are writing down details of the call such as amounts and dates which are mentioned (and don’t forget the name of the advisor that you spoke to).  If you can, it is also a really good idea to have someone you know and trust with you when you make such a call for three reasons. 

To start with, that particular someone else will also know exactly what was said if proof is needed, and they will also provide another brain to perhaps understand the fragments of information that you don’t.  Finally, when the call is over and you have had time to really think about what was said, there will be someone else to think it all through with.  It may also be good to let that someone read the letter too and check if they agree with your maths… 

WM, Grove Park.

LPG found a couple of bits of web information which might help…

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