Moving supplier grief! Help please!

KevJ

Hi,

This is my first post so please go easy!!

I think I've messed up but need advice nonetheless. I will try to keep it brief and list the details to save personal opinion...

I moved into current (rented) property 29th February 2010
Totally forgot until 3 weeks ago to register with an Electric & Gas supplier.
Registered with Scottish Power via USwitch (3 weeks ago).
Scottish Power's details say that may take 6 weeks, will need meter readings etc and will contact me in due course.


All that seems simple enough however...

Came home today to a letter threatening an intent to apply for a warrant of entry from previous supplier (E.on).
Previous Tenant hasn't being paying his bills and obviously didn't settle his a/c with them.


I figured that I could just give Scottish Power my reading from when I moved in and pay them. E.on over the telephone tonight say that I need to supply them with my initial readings and a reading from now and that I will owe that proportion of the balance owing?

Can they force this? I presumed I could pay Scottish Power retrospectively for the energy I have used and was expecting a large initial bill for this (which I would be more than happy with and don't for a minute dispute that I owe).


All help greatly appreciated!

Kevin.

SwanJon

Sorry, that's not how it works.
You are Eon's customer from when you moved in until SP take over.Give Eon the date and read from when you moved in, they'll close down the previous tenant's account and stop hassling you.
Day comes to change to SP, take another reading and give it to both eon & Sp (letter, email, web, phone).
Eon send you bill from Feb to when SP take over, the SP start,

KevJ

If that's the case then so be it and thank you for your swift reply.

Does that not then give them carte blanche to bill at whatever rate they want, however uncompetitive?

DVardysShadow

KevJ wrote: »

If that's the case then so be it and thank you for your swift reply.

Does that not then give them carte blanche to bill at whatever rate they want, however uncompetitive?

No, you are on a deemed contract for which the rates are fixed. Your only problem is proving how much eenrgy you should be billed for.

Scottish_Power

Hi KevJ

I would suggest speaking to Eon to see if they can bill you on a more competitive tariff from the start of your account. As you have not given them any details yet it is likely that they are billing the account on a standard tariff. They may agree to placing you onto a lower Direct Debit tariff however this will require you to provide them with your bank details.

Let me know if you have any issues with the transfer.

Kind Regards

Colin @ ScottishPower

Cardew

scottishpower_company_representative wrote: »

Hi KevJ

I would suggest speaking to Eon to see if they can bill you on a more competitive tariff from the start of your account. As you have not given them any details yet it is likely that they are billing the account on a standard tariff. They may agree to placing you onto a lower Direct Debit tariff however this will require you to provide them with your bank details.

Let me know if you have any issues with the transfer.

Kind Regards

Colin @ ScottishPower

The problem with that approach is that most 'more competitive tariffs' lock you in for a set period with a penalty to pay if you leave before the end of that period.

If the OP is determined to leave then he is best staying on the standard rate with EON.

However he should investigate which is the best tariff for his circumstances - it may well be that EON on their cheapest tariff is the best bet.

Premier_2

I'm surprised E.On allowed the transfer of their supply in the first instance as the OP didn't appear to be the account holder at the time, and there appeared to be an outstanding balance on the previous (and presumably according to E.on since they are probably unaware of any change in tenant, the current) account.

As SwanJon rightly says:

SwanJon wrote:

Sorry, that's not how it works. ...

How about the full story? A letter of intent to apply for an entry warrant is not issued without the supplier having first sent numerous other letters trying to secure payment.

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hi kevJ,

The information provided by SwanJon regarding moving in to your new property is correct. As soon as we update our records to show you have moved in to the property any current debt collection process will change to address only the previous occupant.

When you contact us to inform us you have moved into a property we will have a conversation with you about tariffs to ensure you take something suitable to your situation.

In cases where we can’t have a conversation, customers are put on to our standard tariff. All customers will receive correspondence that confirms the tariff details they are on when an account is created.

Brian