can gas and electric be changed without tenants knowledge?

moneyistight222

Hi. I have a relative who was a council tenant and she had mental health problems. She began receiving gas and electric bills from a different company. She stopped receiving bills from the previous supplier.
Is it possible that her supplier could have changed without her knowledge or consent?

macman

It could be an erroneous transfer. But the receiving company would have written a 'welcome letter' to her before the switch completed, that would act as a warning sign-possibly she did not act on it?

Pincher

1. Cold caller gets enough details to switch her.

2. Utility Company was taken over. My supplier was Midland Electric, then TXU, then E.On, all without my switching, but all legitimate change of name.

I suppose there can be more creative scenarios.

dogshome

"was a council tenant" ? If she has moved somewhere else this is all a bit academic.

There are however some questionable life forms swimming around in the murky waters of Utility supplies, so it would be interesting to know who her original supplier was, and which one she was moved to

flyingjock1

If its a council property/managed housing ive heard of it happening before. eg council/managed estate with say 50 homes and the council decides to xfer their tenants over on mass to a preferred supplier. what should happen and always doesnt is that council should contact the tenant, tell them what they are planning and ask them if they want to opt out and stay with their present supplier. if the council dont hear anything back they assume its ok to go ahead and they then provide details to the utility company and before you know it, the tenant starts getting letters from a different company.