Issue with gas bill charge

MoodyBlues

I hope someone can advise me on this issue, but I have to give a bit of background before I get to my main problem.
We moved in November and signed our tenancy agreement in October. The Estate Agents at the time told us that they would deal with the switch of council tax, energy etc into our names. Fair enough. At the time I told them we just wanted to stay with the same supplier to the property so as not to cause headaches later on down the line.
Later on I found out that they hadn't contacted the council about the move, nor other people, and had signed us up to an energy company that wasn't the supplier to the property prior to our move. I have no problem with the price of the new supplier. However it took months to transfer from the old supplier to the new supplier (2 months). I did not find out until January when I had a call from the company to tell us we had just been switched over. I got onto the other old supplier also to ask them what was going on and why it took so long to convert over and was met by the usual corporate rubbish.
Months roll by. Still not received a bill from any of the companies. End of March comes along and we receive a bill from the old company (final bill) for the electric but not the gas. Fair enough. I just pay up, as the cost is effectively the same as the new company I have signed up with. Time rolls on to today and we have just received a bill for the electric which is some £90 more expensive than it would have been under the new company.
I realise I used the companies electric and gas for this time period but I had specifically signed up for another company. Am I legally and morally obliged to pay this bill or am I right to argue the price considering I had signed up to another company (albeit the Estate agents misleading us originally). If I call them can I argue the conditions that I had signed up to with the new company and get the same rates? I am willing to pay what I believe I owe but the price they are asking is just too high.

Any help appreciated. I'm not trying to weasle out of this debt. I just want it to be fair.

KimYeovil

You are liable for the incumbent suppliers' deemed contracts from when you moved in. It is your responsibility - nothing to do with the estate agents - to arrange all the contracts - the agents can help, if they like, but it really is none of their business.

And the cost of the deemed tariff you are on is down to the luck of the draw - you are liable for whatever standard tariff they lump you with until your choice takes effect. You can !!!!! to the estate agents about their poking about in your affairs and ask them for some money but you have no case against the energy suppliers. And the estate agents will just shrug their shoulders.

Cardew

There have been a few reports on MSE of Estate Agents switching supplies for incoming tenants. Obviously they do this to get commission.

I assume today you have received a final bill for GAS - not electric.

It is quite normal for switching to take several weeks - so the important issue is what is the end date on the bills of the old company's billing period? Given you moved into the property in Nov it would be reasonable for the end date to be a couple of months after that date. However you should have provided a final meter reading on the date of switch. If you didn't, the reading has probably been estimated, and you could have grounds for disputing that reading.

Also as it is the gaining company that instigates the switch procedure, it could well be them at fault and not the old company.

MoodyBlues

KimYeovil wrote: »

You are liable for the incumbent suppliers' deemed contracts from when you moved in. It is your responsibility - nothing to do with the estate agents - to arrange all the contracts - the agents can help, if they like, but it really is none of their business.

And the cost of the deemed tariff you are on is down to the luck of the draw - you are liable for whatever standard tariff they lump you with until your choice takes effect. You can !!!!! to the estate agents about their poking about in your affairs and ask them for some money but you have no case against the energy suppliers. And the estate agents will just shrug their shoulders.

Thanks for the reply.
Does that even apply when I was sent the contract with the new supplier in November (and had signed for it in October)? Surely the tariffs should be applied at the rate I agreed to? Bear in mind that up to January I had been contacted by the "new" supplier and they didn't tell me that I would not be connected up to their supply til January (nor did they tell me that I hadn't been supplied by them til this date). First I heard of it was a phone call to my mobile while I was out.

Cardew wrote: »

There have been a few reports on MSE of Estate Agents switching supplies for incoming tenants. Obviously they do this to get commission.

I assume today you have received a final bill for GAS - not electric.

It is quite normal for switching to take several weeks - so the important issue is what is the end date on the bills of the old company's billing period? Given you moved into the property in Nov it would be reasonable for the end date to be a couple of months after that date. However you should have provided a final meter reading on the date of switch. If you didn't, the reading has probably been estimated, and you could have grounds for disputing that reading.

Also as it is the gaining company that instigates the switch procedure, it could well be them at fault and not the old company.

Thanks for the info.
Yeah sorry I meant Gas (it was a long day yesterday, and I have just got in today!). The end date is Beginning of January and I already sent the details to the "new" supplier in January eg. the readings when we moved in beginning of November and readings on the date of the switch.
I've also been chasing up the old company since that time for a bill. The new companies rates are actually better than the old one.

So should I just pay this bill or do I have a good argument to dispute the tariff they have given me?
If I do have an argument who do I have it with? The old company, the new company, or the estate agents?

Cardew

MoodyBlues wrote: »

Thanks for the info.
Yeah sorry I meant Gas (it was a long day yesterday, and I have just got in today!). The end date is Beginning of January and I already sent the details to the "new" supplier in January eg. the readings when we moved in beginning of November and readings on the date of the switch.
I've also been chasing up the old company since that time for a bill. The new companies rates are actually better than the old one.

So should I just pay this bill or do I have a good argument to dispute the tariff they have given me?
If I do have an argument who do I have it with? The old company, the new company, or the estate agents?

If I understand your posts correctly, you don't have a complaint against either energy company.

Your beef is against the Estate Agent for switching you to a new supplier without your knowledge initially.

Had the normal course of action been followed, and you stayed with the company supplying your property, you would have been on their deemed tariff - which is normally the expensive 'Standard' tariff.

However the day you moved in you could have contacted the company and moved to one of their cheaper tariffs.

As you(without your knowledge;)) were switching to another company, the losing company correctly charged you at their Standard tariff.

As your effective move to the new company took place 2 months after you moved in(a normal timeframe) you have no complaint.

MacsReturns

I'd agree with KimYeovil and Cardew - if you're going to go after anyone, it should be the estate agents.

The old ones are always the best, and in this case the 'old one' that applies is "If you want it doing well, do it yourself" (especially as you can switch through cashback sites )

I'm surprised though that the new suppliers contacted you and didn't give a date for the switchover - when I switched, they gave me a date, asked for a meter reading at that date, and all went through smoothly, though it did take a few weeks.

MoodyBlues

Thanks for your responses.
Yeah I was surprised myself. First I heard of it was when they called me in January to say my supply had been switched over, and asking me for meter readings.
First time I've really had to bother with dealing with gas and electric companies directly following a move, as the gas and electric were inclusive before (apart from when I was paying for my parents electric).

Thanks for the clarification. I've only got myself to blame. I usually don't trust anyone with doing things for me these days, but the estate agent was so convincing ("We take care of all of that"). When I found out in January we had been switched one thought I had was "at least they got their commission!".
Guess I'll have to rustle up the money somehow.

BLT_2

Cardew wrote: »

There have been a few reports on MSE of Estate Agents switching supplies for incoming tenants. Obviously they do this to get commission.

I assume today you have received a final bill for GAS - not electric.

It is quite normal for switching to take several weeks - so the important issue is what is the end date on the bills of the old company's billing period? Given you moved into the property in Nov it would be reasonable for the end date to be a couple of months after that date. However you should have provided a final meter reading on the date of switch. If you didn't, the reading has probably been estimated, and you could have grounds for disputing that reading.

Also as it is the gaining company that instigates the switch procedure, it could well be them at fault and not the old company.

I recieved a letter from my letting agency that they were 'recommending' all tenants transfer to a specific agency. They had however worded the document so that it looked liked you had no choice, and even included a direct debit form which had to be returned within 7 days.

I sent them an email tellling them to cease and desist from involving themselves in my utility bills and that as the tenant it was my right to decide who provided my gas and electric.