Utilities demanding payment for their mistake

Shazza_babe

all started January, i was with First Utility and requested transfer to BG, they agreed transfer of Gas no problem with no bill outstanding, they said they were not providing electricity... BG said they did and couldnt transfer till resolved. i called FU many times and stated that they were providing electricity and i needed to settle payment before i could transfer, they kept saying they were not my provider. According to National grid they were! eventually after 3 months of pestering for settlement to transfer they agreed i could transfer and i recieved no bill for either gas or electric.

August i moved home and moved BG along too. Then out of the blue (27th October) i receive a overdue balance bill for FU for over £400 to cover for both gas and electric for the term i was with them and they are now demanding full payment by 9th November - any advice.....

I had to move house to downsize following redundancy, £400 is a lot of money to find at short notice

Premier_2

Shazza_babe wrote: »

all started January, i was with First Utility and requested transfer to BG, they agreed transfer of Gas no problem with no bill outstanding, they said they were not providing electricity... BG said they did and couldnt transfer till resolved. i called FU many times and stated that they were providing electricity and i needed to settle payment before i could transfer, they kept saying they were not my provider. According to National grid they were! eventually after 3 months of pestering for settlement to transfer they agreed i could transfer and i recieved no bill for either gas or electric.

August i moved home and moved BG along too. Then out of the blue (27th October) i receive a overdue balance bill for FU for over £400 to cover for both gas and electric for the term i was with them and they are now demanding full payment by 9th November - any advice.....

I had to move house to downsize following redundancy, £400 is a lot of money to find at short notice

In the first home, how long were you with FU before requesting a switch?

When you did eventually switch, did you get a final bill from FU?
(or perhaps in the absence of that, a written confirmation that no money would be ever owed for the period you were using their supplies?)

What mistake did they make that they are now billing you for?
Either they were not your previous supplier ... in which case they couldn't allow the switch depite your protestations to the contrary.

Or they were the supplier as you claimed and therefore have every right to bill you for the consumption you used that they supplied prior to the switch.

BLT_2

So in essence you are annoyed that after not paying for the gas and electric you had used someone has caught up with you?

There are very few free things in this world, and gas and electric certainly aint on the list

t0rt0ise

Shazza_babe wrote: »

August i moved home and moved BG along too. Then out of the blue (27th October) i receive a overdue balance bill for FU for over £400 to cover for both gas and electric for the term i was with them and they are now demanding full payment by 9th November - any advice.....

It wasn't really out of the blue was it though? I mean you would expect them to bill you eventually. But I can understand what it's like. I too moved house in August and I'm still waiting for my waste water bill. I'm sure it will come eventually and I ought to be prepared but it's difficult not to forget about it.

For you, I'd talk to them and get them to give you time to pay. As you're not their customer they can't cut you off and if they threaten court remind them that the court will always give you time to pay.