GB Energy: bill from the administrators, and meter reading errors

24

Comments

  • brewerdave
    brewerdave Posts: 8,507 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    ...further to the last post, whether you intend to pay any outstanding amount or not, ask for proof in the form of a fully detailed final bill.
  • mouseclick
    mouseclick Posts: 236 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    penste70 wrote: »
    I have been contacted by CDS Corporate Debt Solutions Global Limited for an outstanding payment due to GB Energy which is apparently due from when I closed the account prior to selling my house. I have never had an invoice for this and I am finding it hard to verify if this is an official representative for GB Energy collections. I am not sure what my rights are and whether as someone has suggested I can just decline to pay it. What happens if I do?

    I since logged on to OVO, my previous supplier, and found my termination readings. I then got the new ones from EDF, my current supplier. I then calculated the correct bill. I don't owe GB Energy £35, they owe me £43. I have written to them asking for £73, including my fee.

    In the meantime, I got this from Nicole Rastall - Collections Manager:
    Dear GB Energy Customer,
    We have attempted to contact you on a number of occasions with regards your GB Energy account CDS Global Limited have been appointed as the agents for the administrators in order to recover any balances outstanding for the creditors.
    We have today agreed a reduction of 10% as a full and final settlement if you contact us within 48 hours of receipt of this notification. We can be contacted on 08003688637 between the hours of 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday.

    That's a lie, they wrote to me once.

    Who should I complain to, if GB Energy don't pay up?

    Thanks
  • mouseclick
    mouseclick Posts: 236 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    brewerdave wrote: »
    ...further to the last post, whether you intend to pay any outstanding amount or not, ask for proof in the form of a fully detailed final bill.

    In my case, they sent a detailed bill. The only problem was, the meter readings were complete fiction, and were even higher than my current readings. That's what raised the alarm, EDF said my readings were thousands of digits lower than GB Energy's. I think I read somewhere that they were incompetent at accounting.

    My advice to anyone: Go to your previous and current energy suppliers to verify the changeover readings. You can find these online. You should be able to access your previous accounts and see the meter readings. It works with OVO anyway. Good luck to all.
  • footyguy
    footyguy Posts: 4,157 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
    mouseclick wrote: »
    I since logged on to OVO, my previous supplier, and found my termination readings. I then got the new ones from EDF, my current supplier. I then calculated the correct bill. I don't owe GB Energy £35, they owe me £43. I have written to them asking for £73, including my fee.

    In the meantime, I got this from Nicole Rastall - Collections Manager:
    Dear GB Energy Customer,
    We have attempted to contact you on a number of occasions with regards your GB Energy account CDS Global Limited have been appointed as the agents for the administrators in order to recover any balances outstanding for the creditors.
    We have today agreed a reduction of 10% as a full and final settlement if you contact us within 48 hours of receipt of this notification. We can be contacted on 08003688637 between the hours of 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday.
    That's a lie, they wrote to me once.

    Who should I complain to, if GB Energy don't pay up?

    Thanks

    https://www.gov.uk/make-money-claim-online ;)
  • trixiebelle86
    trixiebelle86 Posts: 2 Newbie
    So I chanced my arm and called CDS Global and they provided me with a letter from the Administrator BDO stating they are working for them.

    I spoke to a lady called Nicole who sent me a copy of my final bill and managed to get me a settlement figure to pay off my account... they're not really a debt collection agency more like customer services if I'm totally honest. Nicole was incredibly patient and talked me through every negative thoughts and doubt I had about them. I believe this company is above board as they were able to send me the exact bill and the supporting evidence from the administrators
  • sheff6107
    sheff6107 Posts: 451 Forumite
    If you are owed money talk to Co-operative Energy. They have said they will voluntarily pay credits even though aren't legally obliged to.

    If you chase the Administrators for money you will be put in the queue of creditors and never see a penny.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,093 Community Admin
    Photogenic Name Dropper First Post
    sheff6107 wrote: »
    If you are owed money talk to Co-operative Energy. They have said they will voluntarily pay credits even though aren't legally obliged to.

    If you chase the Administrators for money you will be put in the queue of creditors and never see a penny.

    In the event of a supplier insolvency, all consumer credit balances are now protected by Ofgem under what is known as the Consumer Levy. The Consumer Levy is in part paid for by the Supplier of Last Resort with the rest of the money coming from all energy suppliers ( no doubt passed on to consumers in the form of higher bills).

    I left GBEnergy a week or so prior to the 'crash'. I called GBEnergy (trading as part of Coop Energy) and my credit balance was transferred to my Bank account the following day.

    http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/energy/2016/11/gb-energy-goes-bust-160000-customers-affected-heres-what-you-need-to-know
  • mouseclick
    mouseclick Posts: 236 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    footyguy wrote: »
    https://www.gov.uk/make-money-claim-online ;)

    Thanks, but GB Energy are in receivership, so to make a money claim may not be worth it. I already have a complaint at https://www.resolver.co.uk/, but I have to wait about 2 weeks more before I can escalate it. I have also told the administrators, of course.

    By the way, the problem for my predicament is now public, here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/05/millions-smart-meters-may-need-replacing-due-blunder/. That article was published on Friday. My brand new "dumb meter", which GB Energy could not read. It's worse than this quote:
    Meters not connected to the system "go dumb" when consumers switch energy suppliers to get a better deal, meaning they are no better than traditional meters as customers have to rely on estimated bills.
    My meter cannot easily be read now, I have to press a small button and several readings scroll. Even the meter readers get it wrong. What a crazy mistake to be made! Unbelievable. Furthermore, I think the low reading on the meter, from the meter reader, may have caused GB Energy to simply add a digit. This explains why my gas meter reading with them started at 5000, rather than the 500, which it was at the time. Even now it is only 2500. What a mess.
  • mouseclick
    mouseclick Posts: 236 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    On reading the article mentioned above - this one - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/05/millions-smart-meters-may-need-replacing-due-blunder/ - I see that Martin Lewis has commented:
    Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, said: "The rollout of smart meters has been a !!!! up and a catastrophe..."

    Yeah I agree. I am an early example. If you want to speak to me, Mr Lewis, here I am. Hahaha, the MSE forum has even censored your own words!!! :money::T
  • sheff6107
    sheff6107 Posts: 451 Forumite
    @mouseclick
    (quoting doesn't work on my iPhone for some reason!)
    Yes, sorry you are correct.
    They will not voluntarily hand over the money though and do not take it into account when producing bills, which is pretty cheeky.
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