feel very hard done by

road_2_damascus

ok... not sure if this is the correct topic forum, anyways

renting a small office for last couple of years to do some work from / storage etc. Rent only 40 per week. Would use small amount of electricity... 2 sockets, one for a rdio, one for a light, and there is a florecsent light on the ceiling.
I recieved an ESB bill (account was put in my name when signing the contracts) for an inurance deposit fro €500, plus a first power usage bill for €45 odd euro. I duely went to the Post Office and paid the €45, then went to the enterprise centre management to say I had an issue with the €500. I was told by them.. 'dont worry about the ESB, we will cover that'.. referring to the €45 I had just paid up in the post office, and to disregard the deposit bill. This was great, I thought... and I went on my way.
From there on I proceeded to disregard all bills that would come in my name from the ESB, as I was going on what the management had told me. (I didnt get this in writing from the management by the way).. Then one day some months ago, I recieved a phone call from an irrate ESB worker to say that he was there to cut off my power supply becasue there was an outstanding bill for €1,230... which was a deposit of €500 plus €720 in accummulated ESB bills.
Of course, I was shocked and very angry, and rang the ESB about this... they looked at the account and said there was very little power usage, and that it was just an accummulation of VAT and standing charges.
When I approached the management, I was told that they would never have told me that they would cover the ESB bill, and that I must have never have paid a bill while I was there! When I said that I had been told to ignor all ESB bills, they catagorically denied it.
So the power was cut off. Some weeks later I recieved a letter from a solicitors in Dublin, saying that if this wasnt cleared, they would be taking it to court.
I am now out of the office space,and due to the slow down, I have done little or no work anyway... I am not on the dole, and Im trying to pay off the ESB bill bit by bit over the phone with my laser card as I can afford it (which is not very often).. meanwhile I hear that ESB workers got a 3% pay rise and our domestic bills have become more expensive. I feel as if Im being walked on

whippet

while you might feel very hard done by, you really shouldn't have ignored any bills that were addressed to you personally.

Regardless of what was said or alleged to have been said you should have spoken to the ESB from the offset.

Buffman

Sound a bit harsh alright, but at this stage I'd say talk to a solicitor about it.

newbie2

whippet wrote: »

while you might feel very hard done by, you really shouldn't have ignored any bills that were addressed to you personally.

Regardless of what was said or alleged to have been said you should have spoken to the ESB from the offset.

This

Buffman wrote: »

Sound a bit harsh alright, but at this stage I'd say talk to a solicitor about it.

Not This

Emerald Lass

road_2_damascus wrote: »

then went to the enterprise centre management to say I had an issue with the €500. I was told by them.. 'dont worry about the ESB, we will cover that'.. referring to the €45 I had just paid up in the post office, and to disregard the deposit bill. This was great, I thought... and I went on my way.
From there on I proceeded to disregard all bills that would come in my name from the ESB, as I was going on what the management had told me. (I didnt get this in writing from the management by the way)

you just contradicted yourself - you said management co said to disregard the deposit bill - your words. but you then chose to disregard ALL bills.

did you seriously think that for some reason you were not going to be expected to pay for the electricity that YOU used? And with rent at only €40 how in gods name did you think that was to be the case?????