old bill

behappysmile

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone will be able to help.

In June 2008 I moved to a flat and tried to find out who to start payments to for my Gas & Electric, nobody took responsibility for the supply. Both myself and the landlord tried for months and months, but know one wanted to take my money.

In september 2009 I moved out of the area. I have now received a bill from EON stating that I owe them £1,254 for the time i was in the flat. I thought that i had read somewhere that if they didn't supply a bill you only had to pay so much from the previous year.

Please help,

KimYeovil

Yes, you only have to pay for the last twelve months of your tenancy - they can chase you for six years, though, if they missed you when you were there. And this will be billed at the standard tariff so £1254 could be right. If you have the readings to tell them that this is incorrect then provide them to Eon.

Cardew

The Billing Code does state that they can only backbill 12 months if the utility company are at fault. So it is possible that you might get away with only paying back to September 2008(i.e. a year from when you moved out)

However as stated above you can be chased for any debt incurred up to 6 years(5 in Scotland)

The Billing Code also states that where the Utility company have not been notified by the occupant that they are in residence then the 12 month back-billing rule does not apply.

It would be helpful if any of the steps you and the landlord took to trace the supplier were in writing.

DVardysShadow

You do have your entry and exit meter readings, don't you?

behappysmile

Thanks guys,

So am I right, even though I moved out in sept 2009 and didn't get a bill till oct 2010 I just have to pay from Sept 2008.

Cardew, I don't have anything in writing it was all done over the phone with each electric company.

DVardysShadow, I did have meter readings but since i moved out over 18 months ago, I may have chucked them.

Cardew

behappysmile wrote: »

Thanks guys,

So am I right, even though I moved out in sept 2009 and didn't get a bill till oct 2010 I just have to pay from Sept 2008.

Paying for 12 months from Sept 2008 to Sept 2009 is the best case scenario!

It depends if EON accept that you did everything possible to contact them when you moved in to the property.

Have EON sent you the bill direct. That would be unusual after you have moved out and they have no forwarding address.

The normal procedure is to pass the bill to a Debt Collecting Agency(DCA) to trace you; and that becomes a whole new ballgame.

behappysmile

Cardew wrote: »

Paying for 12 months from Sept 2008 to Sept 2009 is the best case scenario!

It depends if EON accept that you did everything possible to contact them when you moved in to the property.

Have EON sent you the bill direct. That would be unusual after you have moved out and they have no forwarding address.

The normal procedure is to pass the bill to a Debt Collecting Agency(DCA) to trace you; and that becomes a whole new ballgame.

Once they decided that it was them supplying the gas/electric they got our new address from the landlord, so they were able to send direct.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi behappysmile

I'm sorry it took such a long time to send you a bill.

There's already some excellent advice on here, particularly about the Billing Code. I would certainly talk to us and ask if this applies.

I would contact our Director's Office about this (contact details are on your bill). Ask for a complaint to be raised. This will stop debt follow up whilst the circumstances are investigated.

Hope this helps point you in the right direction behappysmile. Give me a shout if you need any more info as will be happy to help.

Malc