Last year, I lost €40 in energy benefits because the then Water Services Corporation sent me the bill six months after the energy benefits voucher expired. I contacted them by e-mail and a few weeks later was informed that I had to go to Social Services for my voucher to be re-issued. I did not bother to go as I had a feeling that I would be sent from one department to the other.

Lately, I received an estimate bill for June-September 2010 with an order to pay by October 7. The bill was for €65.02. My problem was that I am in possession of a benefit voucher which covers November 2009 to June 2010 for a total value of €80.78. It is reasonable as the bill covers two months and the energy benefit voucher covers a period of seven months.

As I did not consider fair to send an €80 voucher for a €65 bill, on Septemebr 24 I sent an e-mail to ARMS Ltd’ customer service to seek advice so that I don’t lose any benefits while being regular in my payments. On October 4, I sent a reminder, as my cut-off date was October 7. To my surprise, on October 11, I received two automatic messages to say that my two e-mails had been read that morning at 11.40. So four days after the cut-off date imposed by ARMS, my e-mails were finally read, not answered.

That is 17 days after I sent my enquiry. I do not expect a valid answer before another 17 days have gone by at least. In the meantime, will they expect me to pay a penalty for not settling a debt, with the amount due from them as energy benefits being larger than my outstanding bills with them?