Gas - no bills !

interest_Ted

A relative of mine moved into a brand new self built property about two years ago. Cooks and heats by gas. Has never received a gas bill.
Called Brit gas a couple of times conversation went like this
Rel : I haven't had any gas bill for my new property into which I moved some time ago. (supplies address and details)
BG : We have no record of your address on our system. So we do not supply your gas. However we can supply your gas if you wish. Would you like us to do so ?
Rel: If you don't supply it then I need to find out who does.

Relative then goes back to builders who state that Transco put in the supply. She calls Transco who say that the supply was taken over by Brit Gas.

She then wonders if perhaps one of the neighbours is paying her bill due to incorrect address. Next door neighbour says he pays all by Direct debit and has no clue as to whether the charges are right or wrong. Eventually he agrees to check, and lo and behold discovers that he too has paid no gas bills.

This has been going on now for about two years.

Question...what is the legal position in all of this ? Is my relative under any legal obligation to write to BG and 'force' them to start billing her ? If and when they do - is there any legal limitation on amount she will have to pay ?

Assumably the meter was installed as new (at zero), so it is not like there might be much of a dispute over the initial meter reading - or is there ?

She has nothing in writing at this point in time.

Ted

prenton01

Ted

funnily enough i was reading about the exact same thing happening to somebody else in the money section of the times

it was a letter from somebody who has the exact dillema and lucky for her regulations made in july this year state that

"As from July this year, regulations state that if a customer has not received a bill for more than two years, then any amount outstanding from before that two-year period cannot be billed"

here is the link i dug it out for you, scroll down and you will see the last letter.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-2483411,00.html


tony

rabialiones

my neighbout has a problem
shmoved into own property after getting rid of tenants.
informed npower who supplied both gas and electric.
received electric bills after this, but not received gas bill in her name since they moved in about 18 months ago.
until now
have received demand for payment of very large gas bill, contacted npower who say that she has to provide legal documents to show that tenants were living there until they moved in.

npower know that tenants were living there prior to them moving in as they were sending bills in their name and the bills were being paid by them.
also as far as she can remember both gas and electric accounts were sorted out at the same time, therefore she cannot understand why npower are being awkward.

she has 2 young kids under 5 and has been threatened that the supply will be cut off , if the full amount is not paid.
she has contacted them and is willing to pay from the date they moved in until now, but they are adamant that she has to pay the full amount.

any advice please

Horasio

I knew someone who didn't get a gas bill, kept asking but got told

'it is nothing to do with me'

This was between 1997-2000

anniecave

rabialiones - re your neighbour

asking for proof that tennants were in the property is reasonable. If the tennants have disappearing without paying part or all or the bill, or if npower just want to get their records straight, either will mean some sort of evidence is needed.

A tennancy agreement would be the usual thing, but if this is not available for whatever reason, this should not be the end of the world, but it is a matter of giving enough information to enable npower to get the records straight.

If you have a tennancy agreement (even if you have to go into a loft or sift through piles of old paperwork) just find it and send a copy in.

Alternatively, are they asking just to prove the gas? If so ask what their records are for electricity. Just phone up the electricity number and ask the question. You could ask someone who can see the electricity system to write to confirm what dates and people they have for their system. Hopefully the elec will be correct.

Would the council tax records also show the change in details? Ask them to confirm what records they have.

Can you confirm what dates the tennnants were paying rent to you for? If you have forwarding details for these tennants, that would also help.

As long as you can prove you had tennants in for the dates, you should be OK. If you have proved it, and npower are not listening, then complain to energywatch.

Hope that helps

rabialiones

she has found an old tenanc y agreement, the type you buy from post office.

but they said they wanted a legal one from the solicitor, which she does not have as tenants were only there on a temporary basis , for a year.

tripled

I've never signed a tenancy agreement with a solicitor. Ones from letting agents, and ones printed off a website, yes, but never through a solicitor. It's not even a legal requirment to have a tenancy agreement. I would suggest your neighbour writes in enclosing a copy of the tenancy agreement she has along with a statement from the council tax and/or water if possible. Also if she has proof she was living at another address ie utility bill from there or bank statement send that in too. If they still refuse to budge she should refer it to energywatch before she gets disconnected.