Free Gas supply

London28UK

I moved into my house 2.5 years ago, took meter readings and contacted my preferred energy supplier. Gave both the readings and meter serial numbers and registered. I thought nothing more about it as I was getting a bill for £58 a month which I thought was fine, as I had been paying £30 a month in my last flat. But recently I called them and gave them a new reading for both electricity and gas. They took my electric reading but said I did not get my gas from them. When I looked at the bills I had been receiving more closely I saw I have only been paying for electric. So I have been getting free gas for 2.5 years, seems I've fallen off the system.

What should I do ? Keep quite and say nothing or hold my hands up ? The house is only 9 years old and my neigbours have told me they had similar problems when they moved in trying to convince the utility companies that we existed. Even giving them the serial number from the meters they were told 'your not on the system'.

What would you do ? Own up or say nothing ? Does anyone have a similar experience ?

filmnoir

This happens alot with new builds. In the end the network will identify you.

You need to find out the following:
Meter Point Reference Number (From your Builder/Developer if possible)
Meter Serial Number
Gas Transportor (You can try National Enquires 0845 605 6677)
Plot address before Royal Mail Assign your postalcode and address (From your Builder/Developer if possible)

If your supply is by one of the retained gas tranportor Networks (National Grid, Scotia, United Utilites and Wales and West) call Exoserve (They hold all the retained network MPR's and who supplies them) to find out what your MPR is and who it is registered to as a gas supplier. If they or you cannot get an MPR from your buillder/developer they will assign you one which you will need to register with a gas supplier. Xoserve is 0870 608 1524. Chances are if your London you are still a retained network with National Grid.

If its an independant gas transportor call them directly to find out the MPR and who it is registered to, or if not they will give you an MPR and ask you to register with a gas supplier.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=38381

If its already registered it is an agreement between you and the supplier on the back bill, if its never been registered to a gas supplier again its between you and the gas supplier, however in most cases they will charge from the registration of the supply.

http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/
Has a very helpful list of contact numbers and a good FAQ.

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hi

Good advice filmnoir.

The only thing I’d add london28UK is when you do locate the correct supplier and they set up the account, they will produce a bill for the period you have been at the property. I expect this will be quite a healthy size as well.

The gas supplier will send you this bill and expect you to pay for the gas as it is energy you have used, however I would expect them to offer you a payment arrangement for this.

In the correct circumstances you may be entitled to a reduction to the bill, this will be if your situation falls into the industry billing codes of practice. This would mean you only have to pay for the gas used in the last year (dating back from the day they send you a correct bill).

The billing codes of practice aren’t guaranteed to apply but it is worth mentioning. All in all I’d definitely tell, rather than the supplier correcting it further down the line and you ending up with an even larger bill.

Vestra

But be careful as the supply could have a supplier who is still sending bills to the developer (unlikely but still possible).

filmnoir

Brian_-_E.ON wrote: »

Hi
The gas supplier will send you this bill and expect you to pay for the gas as it is energy you have used, however I would expect them to offer you a payment arrangement for this.

This is usually true in the cases where there is a gas supplier registered. However if Xoserve or your IGT say no supplier is registered, then the gas used and tranportation is abosorbed by the industry. In this case when your supply registers the MPR for the first time, in essense (if they do it correctly) they will not a) be charged for any gas as they never bought it in the first place b) tranportation of said gas.

They will register it as a new build, attatch you meter serial number and at which point you should agree a read (I would aim for the date the supply is first registered on Xoserve or the IGT with the supplier.

Xoserve have been running a project over 2007/2008 called USNANA (At BGAS insitence due to lost revenue) to address shippersless/supplierless sites) so if you are on a freebie at the moment, be prepared for a knock on the door. I know approx 100k sites were classified as USNANA back in 2006.

Premier_2

London28UK wrote: »

I moved into my house 2.5 years ago, took meter readings and contacted my preferred energy supplier. ...

That was your first mistake.

Despite what some posters suggest, it's always best to contact the supplier which actually supplies the property (the developer should be able to tell you who these are) and take over the existing supplies.
If you then want a new supplier - switch

filmnoir

Premier wrote: »

Despite what some posters suggest, it's always best to contact the supplier which actually supplies the property (the developer should be able to tell you who these are) and take over the existing supplies.

Thats part of the issue, in some cases the supply has never been registered by any supplier by the Builder/Devloper and therefore in essence doesn't have a supplier to contact.

The other case is a registered supplier who does not have the postal address, meter attatched etc.

Ken68

Don't tell them anymore, London, you have made two efforts, they should be able to sort it out from that.
Not your problem anymore. Just put money aside and enjoy the interest.

filmnoir

Thats okay however please consider most people will not put money aside, secondly it could cause compliacation if your meter developed a gas leek and needed to be replaced, you could end up with the network refusing to exchange the meter until you registered your supply.

Also contacting the supplier that the supply is not registered with hardly constitues effort to resolve the issue.

London28UK

Many thanks to all for your advice. I live in a small development of 12 properties. I initially in 1998 moved into a smaller property when it was 18 months old and had a lot of trouble registering. Six years later I moved within the same development to a larger property. I am now wondering if the original owner of my current property, who lived here eight years ever had a gas bill himself ? I am still in contact with him so will drop him an e-mail to find out. It is quite tempting to do nothing and cross my fingers hoping they never find me, but reading film noirs advice they are cracking down. My main complication is I may loose my job in 6 months, and may have to move abroad to find new work. So I will need to rent out the property,and part of me would rather sort this out before I go away.

lemontart

filmnoir wrote: »

This happens alot with new builds. In the end the network will identify you.

You need to find out the following:
Meter Point Reference Number (From your Builder/Developer if possible)
Meter Serial Number
Gas Transportor (You can try National Enquires 0845 605 6677)
Plot address before Royal Mail Assign your postalcode and address (From your Builder/Developer if possible)

If your supply is by one of the retained gas tranportor Networks (National Grid, Scotia, United Utilites and Wales and West) call Exoserve (They hold all the retained network MPR's and who supplies them) to find out what your MPR is and who it is registered to as a gas supplier. If they or you cannot get an MPR from your buillder/developer they will assign you one which you will need to register with a gas supplier. Xoserve is 0870 608 1524. Chances are if your London you are still a retained network with National Grid.

If its an independant gas transportor call them directly to find out the MPR and who it is registered to, or if not they will give you an MPR and ask you to register with a gas supplier.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=38381

If its already registered it is an agreement between you and the supplier on the back bill, if its never been registered to a gas supplier again its between you and the gas supplier, however in most cases they will charge from the registration of the supply.

http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/
Has a very helpful list of contact numbers and a good FAQ.

0870 608 1524 is National Grid not Xoserve .