Threats from BGas on Electric Bill

Dantara

We are a company and have received an electricity bill from BG for £3K + for miss read meter readings going back 3.25 years. The meters have always been read quarterly by their own meter readers from different companies. They are demanding instant payback and are quoting their terms and conditions of business and The Limitations Act 1980. They have been obnoxious and today threatened to cut off our supply. We asked them to consider the code of conduct for back billing and the operative said that she and her supervisors had never heard of it and that we should send them a copy by email.

We have always paid all the electricity bills timely. When checking our files I notice that an office manager wrote to them in 2006 querying the readings but received no reply. We informed them that we are lodging a complaint about their heavy handed tactics. My question is simple, do we have any legal defence to a bill out of the blue which was completely BGs fault over such a long time.

Dantara

Cardew

The regulations pertaining to domestic accounts - i.e. backbilling can only be for 12 months - do not apply to business accounts.

Like any other debt it can go back 6 years.

It seems you are not disputing the bill?? simply how the situation has been handled?

If that is the case, I doubt you have any legal defence. Even if it went to court I doubt it would be ruled as "completely BG's fault" as the customer has responsibility to check their accounts.

I can only suggest you contact the Regulator and seek their opinion.