No electricity bill for nearly 6 years...help!

alnsaz

I'm new to the forum and was hoping someone could help, I'll try to explain briefly!

We moved into a new build house in Jan 2005 and filled in relevant paperwork for utilities, forms passed back via builder. A few months passed and we were being billed OK for gas but not electricity. Contacted supplier London Energy (now EDF) and explained no bill, they wanted a lawyers letter to prove I was living at the address. I didn't want to pay for the letter, told them so and left it at that.
Meantime I expected a bill to materialise but nothing. I continued to provide meter readings online as well as to doorstep meter readers

Time passed and nothing until in June 2010, totally out of the blue, we recieved an EDF electricity bill for nearly £1,000 which I paid in full immediately as well as giving a new meter reading. The original bill had been estimated over an 18 month period, hence the low amount. I called EDF and they were unable to explain why they suddenly knew me as a customer and after my conversations with the EDF rep, a further accurate bill arrived looking for a further £2,000! I called again and managed to negotiated the bill down to just less than £1,000 and asked of they could estimate monthly payments based on a couple of weeks consumption. I duly called them back with meter readings and expected billing information to arrive - nothing came!

Suddenly I find another £2,000 bill behind the door and various comments from friends and relatives tell me that I have a few options here

1. No contact from EDF in over 5 years = me not liable for bill?
2. I'm only liable for 12 months consumption?
3. I take thier offer of a 50% reduction and pay the reduced amount (£1,000) over an interest free period (maybe 2 years?)

I feel that in the first couple of years I pursued EDF as I wanted to pay, but time passed, I gave up I suppose and was waiting on the day when I'd be presented with the bill. I have not been contacted by EDF at all until the first bill arrived in June. I paid them £1,000 straight away, I do want to pay - I'm an honest guy and this has worried me over the period!

Sorry this is a long story but any help would be appreciated:)

Thanks
Al

Terrylw1

If they had not provided any bills for the elec, they can backbill you 12 months as a domestic.

You have gas at the same address so they have probably suddenly found a load of unbilled elec and spotted your gas account with them.

Given this mess, part of the bill might actually be for the builders as well but if you only pay the last 12 months, thats not an issue if the bill matches to your consumption.

Ensure you scrutinise your usage because they will have to estimate the start reading 12 months ago. If there is a reading close to that, it shouldn't be a problem.

http://www.energy-retail.org.uk/documents/BillingCodeFAQs15Oct08.pdf

spiro

The 12 month back billing rule applies if you fail to contact them and not if you fail to tell them you have moved in. As you ahve done everything by phone it may be difficult to prove you told them you moved in. I have not heard before of a supplier wanting a lawyers letter to prove you live there they normally only want something like that we you are trying to proved you moived out ad are no longer liable for the bill.

Also if they bill you inaccurately they can rebill you and this is not covered by the 12 month rule.

Cardew

The billing code specifically covers the situation where you move in to a property and the customer's responsibilities.

http://www.energy-retail.org.uk/documents/BackBillingSept-Version8.pdf

Customer’s responsibilities

Customers should pay for energy used and the Code is not intended as a means for avoiding
payments. Customers have an obligation to assist suppliers and can expect to pay for all energy
consumed if they:

Have been using the supply but have made no attempt to contact the supplier to make or
arrange payment, including moving into a property and making no attempt to let a supplier
know they are the new tenant.

Have wilfully avoided payment.

We can all read the code, and interpret it how we wish.

If the OP thinks that it is reasonable to make a phone call at the beginning of occupation and then receive electricity for 6 years and not pay, and/or a discount of £1,000 is unreasonable, then fight the case; these days companies cave in easily.

Terrylw1

The handover documents were provided by the builder and then the OP made a further contact. No such thing as a need for s solicitors letter, but that could be a poor call centre agent I guess.

Billing code then goes on to say:

Unless the above clauses (a) to (c) apply, Energy Suppliers will not seek additional
payments for un-billed energy consumed over 12 months ago if they have:
d) received the necessary industry notifications but have failed to set up a record on
their billing systems, or
e) failed to set up or maintain accurate meter and metering data, or
f) failed to use valid readings provided by the Customer or data collectors, or
g) failed to reassess regular payments within the previous 15 months based on accurate
information available to them, or have failed to communicate the need for and use of a
Customer own reading at this time, or
h) failed to attempt to obtain a valid reading during the previous 15 months, or
i) failed to send a bill to the Customer or billing address during the previous 15 months,

unless their express agreement with the individual Customer allows for this.

If there have been meter readers going out, then the Supplier would get communication of advancing elec reads and it's their responsibility to investigate this (for their own revenue alone!) which they haven't done.

If the customer has attempted contact, they will back down because of the rest of the comms that will have been left without action in this time.