We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Not Paid for Electricity for over 2 years - advice
Options
We moved into an apartment in Nov 07 and have been living there ever since. It was a new build and we received a welcome pack with information on who provides our utility services.
We were told E-on provided our electric so called them to set up an account, they didn't recognise our address and so said that we were not with them and to try British Gas. We called BG to do the same thing and had the same response. We went back and forth and eventually got in touch with Central Networks who were also puzzled as to where we lived with it being a new build but they eventually confirmed our supplier was BG.
We went ahead and gave our name and DD details to BG even though they did not recognise the address and for over 2 years did not receive a bill even though we followed up our initial calls several times.
Last year we received a bill address to "the occupier" for £0.00 and then again 3 months later. In November last year we then received one for £74 again addressed to the occupier and the usage was way off! This stated that the bill was for April 07 (before we moved in) to Nov 09. After several phone calls trying to sort this we have now received notices from a debt collector company for a bill of over £600 from April 07 to Nov 09 but still with the wrong usage on the bill even though we have provided the correct readings.
We have been told several times by BG they will call us back to sort but they never do and its cost us a significant amount already in calls to them. The latest is that they are saying we owe them £2,600 over the past 2 years.
We wanted to set up the electric from the time we moved in so we could choose a tariff that was suitable for us but obviously now that this has happened they will be charging us using the expensive standard tariff.
We have now set up a DD for each month now that they recognise the address but they said they have no record of us giving them details in the past!
Sorry for the long-winded story but i wondered if anyone could advise? I am right in saying that they can only charge us for the past year now after we have made more than plenty of attempts to sort this right from when we moved in? Can someone also tell me if we are able to move supplier or whether we have to stay with BG until this is resolved?
So sick of this whole fiasco. We have obviously been trying to set up an account since we moved in but its fallen on deaf ears and now all of a sudden they want this money!
Thanks in advance for your help.
Lisa
We were told E-on provided our electric so called them to set up an account, they didn't recognise our address and so said that we were not with them and to try British Gas. We called BG to do the same thing and had the same response. We went back and forth and eventually got in touch with Central Networks who were also puzzled as to where we lived with it being a new build but they eventually confirmed our supplier was BG.
We went ahead and gave our name and DD details to BG even though they did not recognise the address and for over 2 years did not receive a bill even though we followed up our initial calls several times.
Last year we received a bill address to "the occupier" for £0.00 and then again 3 months later. In November last year we then received one for £74 again addressed to the occupier and the usage was way off! This stated that the bill was for April 07 (before we moved in) to Nov 09. After several phone calls trying to sort this we have now received notices from a debt collector company for a bill of over £600 from April 07 to Nov 09 but still with the wrong usage on the bill even though we have provided the correct readings.
We have been told several times by BG they will call us back to sort but they never do and its cost us a significant amount already in calls to them. The latest is that they are saying we owe them £2,600 over the past 2 years.
We wanted to set up the electric from the time we moved in so we could choose a tariff that was suitable for us but obviously now that this has happened they will be charging us using the expensive standard tariff.
We have now set up a DD for each month now that they recognise the address but they said they have no record of us giving them details in the past!
Sorry for the long-winded story but i wondered if anyone could advise? I am right in saying that they can only charge us for the past year now after we have made more than plenty of attempts to sort this right from when we moved in? Can someone also tell me if we are able to move supplier or whether we have to stay with BG until this is resolved?
So sick of this whole fiasco. We have obviously been trying to set up an account since we moved in but its fallen on deaf ears and now all of a sudden they want this money!
Thanks in advance for your help.
Lisa
0
Comments
-
As they say they have no proof you tried to give them details previously, do you???
If not, they'll simply say the 12 month back billing rule does not apply.
You can't switch supplier until you are registered with a supplier, and if they say there is a debt owing, they'll want that settled before allowing you to switch."Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 20100 -
Yes we have kept our mobile phone itemised bills. Would they suffice?0
-
0
-
Yes we have kept our mobile phone itemised bills. Would they suffice?
That would be a start, but ideally you would need the recordings.
However, with the evidence of the calls made, you should be able to get the recordings from the energy supplier under the terms of the data protection act since most seem to record calls ... and tell you this every time you call them.
Give them the date & approximate time of each call and they should be able to provide you will all the recordings (assuming they are not too old). Will cost you £10 max., but if they prove the supplier is wrong in their assertion that they have no record of you advising them earlier, I'd be inclined to ask them to pay that cost back too."Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 20100 -
Best way. Get the recordings, listen to them, detail the complaint in writing.
0 -
well... someone called yesterday about this from BG and have said we can call it quits if we agree to pay £900. :j Am pleased as it means that we can just have a clean slate now and are actually being recognised rather than being told our house doesn't exist!
Thanks for the help :beer:0 -
fair deal really,0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 351.2K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.2K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.7K Spending & Discounts
- 244.2K Work, Benefits & Business
- 599.2K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177K Life & Family
- 257.6K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards