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QOTW: Can energy suppliers reclaim the cost of unbilled energy after a year?
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Former_MSE_Archna
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Q. Is it true energy suppliers can’t reclaim the cost of unbilled energy after a year? Asked on Fri Radio 2's Vine.
Martin's A. I wasn't 100% sure when asked live, so we've checked. There are two types of protection:
The Statute of Limitations means you can't be pursued in court for civil issues six years after the event (five in Scotland) and this covers utility bills.
Most big suppliers also signed up to a Code of Practice for Accurate Billing in July 06. It has rules saying when your supplier can't chase you for bills over a year old, meaning the debts are wiped. This includes...
• Bills based on estimated meter readings even when you've taken your own meter readings (if you've not given readings they can chase).
• If you're billed based on 4 digits when there is actually a 5 digit meter at the premises.
• If you've flagged up a query or fault in writing about the account and the supplier's done nothing. This is the one to use if you haven't had a bill and have asked for one.
• If you've told your supplier of a new address but it keeps sending bills to the old one.
If the bill isn't wiped & you're in debt with your supplier it should agree a suitable repayment plan which equals the length of time it took to build the debt. If issues aren't sorted as they should be complain to the Energy Ombudsman.
See the full Code of Practice.
Click reply to discuss this
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Cheap Energy Club.
Q. Is it true energy suppliers can’t reclaim the cost of unbilled energy after a year? Asked on Fri Radio 2's Vine.
Martin's A. I wasn't 100% sure when asked live, so we've checked. There are two types of protection:
The Statute of Limitations means you can't be pursued in court for civil issues six years after the event (five in Scotland) and this covers utility bills.
Most big suppliers also signed up to a Code of Practice for Accurate Billing in July 06. It has rules saying when your supplier can't chase you for bills over a year old, meaning the debts are wiped. This includes...
• Bills based on estimated meter readings even when you've taken your own meter readings (if you've not given readings they can chase).
• If you're billed based on 4 digits when there is actually a 5 digit meter at the premises.
• If you've flagged up a query or fault in writing about the account and the supplier's done nothing. This is the one to use if you haven't had a bill and have asked for one.
• If you've told your supplier of a new address but it keeps sending bills to the old one.
If the bill isn't wiped & you're in debt with your supplier it should agree a suitable repayment plan which equals the length of time it took to build the debt. If issues aren't sorted as they should be complain to the Energy Ombudsman.
See the full Code of Practice.
Click reply to discuss this
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Comments
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can i just say, for everyones benefit, i worked for one of the major energy companies as an inbound customer services agent, for four years.
i left in december. i worked there when the market began to change and prices began to rocket and eventually customer services became SALES and services.
can i just make this clear, DO NO BELIEVE ANYTHING ANY ENERGY COMPANY SAYS TO YOU ABOUT ANYTHING. THE STAFF ARE TOLD TO LIE TO CUSTOMERS!!!!!!
especially when it comes to unbilled periods, payment methods, overdue bills etc....
BUT PLEASE ALSO BEAR IN MIND... the agents you talk to are human too, they have their bills to pay and are just trying make a living, and every breath they take is watched and analysed and if they DO NOT DO AS THEY ARE TOLD THEY WILL SUFFER.
this is no laughing matter. im NOT joking. i wont mention who i worked for, but as my time when on i could no longer cope with the stress and the pressure i was put under. we were badgered to do and say what we could to get peoples bank detials, card details, especially oaps. and this is still happening.
i am speaking on behalf of all the people i worked with. i doubt any other energy company is different. so please be nice to the next agent you speak to, but if its a really complex query let the agent try to help first (they WILL get into trouble if your call is escalated straight away) and then ask for complaints team/advisor. they know more than the managers, believe me!
hope this helps, please bear the above in mind the next time you call about your bill.
thanks. rant over.0 -
so we are really strugglin to pay energy bills and have a lot of arrears and they keep telling us we have to pay to cover the usage and the arrears. had to go to consumer focus for help as they threatened disconnection etc.. they mananged to negotiate and agreement but energy compnay southern electric havent stuck to it although there was nothing in writing it was verbal through consumer focus. now they are bullying and chasing and telling us to pay more than we can afford. had to go back to consumer focus for them to negotiate again... are energy companies allowed to bully customers to make them pay when they are trying their best but cannot give what they are demanding?? we have been paying but just little bits when we can.....??:confused:
loz
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lollopinkpop: I'm not sure if you've posted in the right place - are you saying you're being pursued for a bill that comes under the one year ruling?
Or are you just struggling with a bill that you have to pay? If so, then of course, suppliers are allowed to chase a debt. Of course, they can demand a reasonable amount to cover your debt and current usage. But, no they shouldn't bully you and no, they shouldn't renege on an agreement. Depends on how the agreement was worded and what you call bullying, though.
If you can only afford 'just little bits' and 'have a lot of arrears', it sounds as if you haven't got the debt under control and prepayment meters would be the answer. Has this been suggested?
If your debt doesn't come under the one year rule, you may get more replies by starting a new thread. Have a look at the Debt Free Wannabe board too for lot of practical advice and support.0 -
I assuming this excludes water bills... as I haven't been billed for over 3 years (although they write to me and try to sell me supplemental services and call me a valued customer!) and have been wondering if they can pursue me when they discover their eroor0
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rich987652 wrote: »I assuming this excludes water bills... as I haven't been billed for over 3 years (although they write to me and try to sell me supplemental services and call me a valued customer!) and have been wondering if they can pursue me when they discover their eroor
This sounds similar to your situation:
http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/utilities-gas-electricity-water/153179-no-water-bill-3-a.html0 -
rich987652 wrote: »I assuming this excludes water bills... as I haven't been billed for over 3 years (although they write to me and try to sell me supplemental services and call me a valued customer!) and have been wondering if they can pursue me when they discover their eroor
Yes they can pursue you for water for up to 6 years(5 in Scotland)0 -
It's a bit of a joke that you have to flag up an error on an account 'in writing'... I have spent hours on the phone to my electricity company telling them they are not billing me. I have probably given them 5 different readings over the year (sometimes the same reading more than once), taken time off from work to have it read, had to tell them the meter was changed and no bill has ever been received.
In June, it will be a year since my last bill and I know they have a variety of records on my account stating I have called to receive a bill at different times. However, I have now emailed them 'in writing' via their customer service website to say that I have not received a bill and despite them emailing me back relatively promptly telling me once again to provide my latest meter readings (and me cooperating) they have failed to send a bill again.
I have therefore emailed 'in writing' again that I won't be chasing them anymore and it will be up to them to bill me when they want. They have been given enough meter readings and prompts to bill me accurately so I will see what the future holds and consider this to be the end of my chasing.
To be quite honest, I am looking forward to telling them the 1 year rule when I finally receive a bill... I guess that will be when I move out :rolleyes: !0 -
Thank you so much for this. We were being billed for a 4 digit meter, since early 2007, whereas our meter has 5 digits.
I contacted NPower with correct meter readings but they were never taken on board. I also called them in Sept 08 and it took them until March this year to send an updated bill.
We were prepared to pay the bill as we had obviously used the gas but then I saw this thread and gave NPower a call and quoted the Code of Practice details as per the opening post. They at first refused to look into it as they said all the reading were estimates but, thank goodness, I spotted that there was one actual reading!
I was given a date of 4th June that they complaint would be dealt by and low and behold I had a revised bill today and have had £690 deducted.
So thanks MSE
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Congrats Nala!
I had a similar problem where we had provided the correct readings for four years (even their own meter readers had checked) but the electricity company transposed the low and normal readings.
They finally backed down after four months of hassle and "red" bills.
Stick to your guns....:beer:0 -
We moved into our flat in December 2002. At the time my partner was working for a reatielr where he got commission for tranfering utility supplier to NPower. we obviously changed bith electricity and gas as we got the commission for both. Since then we have onyl received electricity bills but never a gas bill. we have has various companies in over the years to read the gas meter though!
We have now recieved a red bill in the name of the previous owner saying that over £6000 is owed within 7 days or they will cut supply to the flat.
What can i do?0
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