What's A 'Shipperless Site'?

patienceofjob

Hello.
I moved into my flat about a year ago. I paid two gas bills, having registered in the normal way (with Scottish Power) and then they got in touch and said they were returning my money as they had realised that they weren't actually supplying me. I then got in touch with Energywatch but so far have had no shipper offerring to take on the supply and no amount of phonecalls seems to turn up a company that can help. I am still on Energywatch's books as an ongoing case. I met a girl at a party over Christmas and she is shipperless too - has been for ten years. She reckons that it isn't costeffective for companies to sort out these problems so they simply don't. I am not sure whether to be delighted at having free gas (effectively or at least, so far) or whether to be concerned about a large bill out of the blue (I have no way to tell how much gas I'm actually using or what it will cost) and whether this will ultimately effect the eventual sale of this flat when I move on.

DGJsaver

Curley wrote: »

Whilst receiving free gas is great, I don't want to be lumped with a large bill further down the line

The way you have worder this makes me smile every time i read it

Thanks:beer:

chesterfield

Curley wrote: »

Update in case any of you was wondering how things are going, or for those in a similar situation.

Ok, I think I maybe getting somewhere.....

Npower have sent me a contract to sign so they can come out and install a meter. Only problem is i've already got a meter and a gas supply which I told them about in the original email, but it seems they are treating this as a new build. I'm still going to sign the contract but write a covering letter and tell them again. All I want is for somebody to say "give us your money!" (silly me).

But at least i'm not getting ignored, thats the main thing.

Thats actually not a bad start - if they are coming to install a meter, and they actually do this, then you will start at NPower with a Zero read. i.e. you wont be asked to pay for any of the gas that has gone beforehand, and these will form part of the "losses in the system".

Worst case scenario would have been that Transco impose what is known as "Shipper of last resort", whereby they assign a supplier to you, who may be lumped with all the transportation charges for gas going to that meter for some time - and that supplier will of course be keen to get that money back from you.

If NPower are willing to set this up as a new build or new supply, even if they dont install the new meter, they will have to use a meter reading from the current meter as your initial read. Of course the meter readin when you moved in was only one digit lower than it is today, right..

alfredjquack

just spoke to someone at British Gas about this. Apparently it is illegal to charge anyone while they have this status as no gas supplier is able to charge you (as you dont have one) and the shippers at the centre, ie Transco, are not allowed to charge you either. I couldn't believe it at first, apparently my landlord has been trying to sort this out for some time and hasn't.