Moved to new house

clocKwize

Hi guys,

So I've moved to a new house, signed up to npower the day after we moved in via uSwitch.

That was over a month ago and I've now received a letter from British Gas addressed to Occupant, saying I owe then about 120 for 14th Oct to 1st Nov! on their Standard Tariff.

Do I actually owe them this money? I've switched to another provider (although its pending, I guess? I still haven't hear but it says it might take up to 7 weeks) and they don't even know my name, therefore I'm not in any kind of contract with them.

I'd obviously much rather just pay npower from the date I signed up with my meter readings from that day, as I know I'll be getting a good deal, not standard tariff deal from a company that doesn't even know who I am

Thoughts or advice?

Many thanks

cajef

When you moved in you should have informed the existing supplier and given them your details and the meter readings.

It can take several weeks to switch supplier it is not done instantly, of course you owe money for any gas or electricity used to the existing supplier until the date of the switch over is confirmed, do you think you have your supplies for free.

clocKwize

cajef wrote: »

When you moved in you should have informed the existing supplier and given them your details and the meter readings.

It can take several weeks to switch supplier it is not done instantly, of course you owe money for any gas or electricity used to the existing supplier until the date of the switch over is confirmed, do you think you have your supplies for free.

I didn't know the current supplier. I wasn't told when I moved in as the house was empty by the time I got the keys and got in.

I don't expect to get it for free - as I said, I'll happily pay the new supplier whom I have a contract with for the gas and electricity.

I just don't understand, they don't know my name and I'm not in a contract with them..

As far as I understand it, its all the same gas/electricity that goes to the house, except its taken out of the amount my supplier put in to the national grid (or whatever it might be for gas). So who is to say its BG I owe money to and not npower? If I tell npower my moving in readings and tell them my current readings, I'll pay for that amount of units to npower, and it'll get taken out of their "pot" of gas/electricity

Just because the previous owner paid BG, I don't think it means I should? I have had numerous bad experiences with BG and don't want to be with them, but by what you are saying, I am by default with BG until I can switch to a new supplier, which is at minimum 7 weeks apparently..

Just trying to clarify my position, I'm not trying to get out of paying anyone (I'll even pay BG with no more fuss than this post)

cajef

clocKwize wrote: »

I didn't know the current supplier.

I just don't understand, they don't know my name and I'm not in a contract with them..

So who is to say its BG I owe money to and not npower? If I tell npower my moving in readings and tell them my current readings, I'll pay for that amount of units to npower, and it'll get taken out of their "pot" of gas/electricity

Just because the previous owner paid BG, I don't think it means I should?

You should have been told by your solicitor or letting agent if rented.

How can you pay Npower for something they have not supplied, BG have been the supplier so you pay them until the switch over takes place.

It is your responsibility to contact the existing supplier, you should have made enquiries to find out who they were, they are sending bills to the occupier because they don't know who you are but you are using their gas.

Firebird

I was in exactly the same position with the same companies, although I knew the suppliers were BG. I called them on the day I moved but still had to pay them on their standard tarrif until npower got it sorted

clocKwize

Firebird wrote: »

I was in exactly the same position with the same companies, although I knew the suppliers were BG. I called them on the day I moved but still had to pay them on their standard tarrif until npower got it sorted

Yeah, it sounds like another lame way that suppliers can take you for every penny they can without you having any say in it.

I'm sure it won't be long before they start a new service, "switch to us just before you move, we'll give you 50 pound" (and then we'll make 100 from the new owners/tenants who have no choice but to pay our ridiculous standard rates for 7 weeks)

clocKwize

cajef wrote: »

You should have been told by your solicitor or letting agent if rented.

How can you pay Npower for something they have not supplied, BG have been the supplier so you pay them until the switch over takes place.

It is your responsibility contact the existing supplier, you should have made enquiries to find out who they were, they are sending bills to the occupier because they don't know who you are but you are using their gas.

Stop making me out to be trying to get this for free or something! I realise its my responsibility, but either way, I'd still be paying BG's standard tariff for 7-8 weeks until my switch went through. Regardless of the letter saying "Occupant" or "clocKwize", it would still be the same price, and I'd still not have any say.

The point I was trying to make that I think you missed is BG aren't really supplying me directly, its not like when you switch to a supplier they unplug your house from the old supplier and plug it in to the new one. Everyone puts their energy in to a big pot, they record how much they've each got in there, when they have a reading, they can say my customer has used X, so consider me to own X units less than I did before, from that big pot.

I don't see what difference it makes, if I say to npower my readings, then pay them, they say those units were theirs and it gets taken out their portion of the energy, not BGs.

Forgive me if that doesn't make sense

cajef

clocKwize wrote: »

I'm sure it won't be long before they start a new service, "switch to us just before you move, we'll give you 50 pound" (and then we'll make 100 from the new owners/tenants who have no choice but to pay our ridiculous standard rates for 7 weeks)

If you had bothered to find out who they were you could have negotiated a cheaper rate until the switchover takes place, they are not psychic they have no way of knowing who has moved in or what tariff you want unless you inform them, hardly fair to blame the supplier for your mistakes.

clocKwize

cajef wrote: »

If you had bothered to find out who they were you could have negotiated a cheaper rate until the switchover takes place, they are not psychic they have no way of knowing who has moved in or what tariff you want unless you inform them, hardly fair to blame the supplier for your mistakes.

Argh, I'm not blaming anyone.

cajef

clocKwize wrote: »

I don't see what difference it makes, if I say to npower my readings, then pay them, they say those units were theirs and it gets taken out their portion of the energy, not BGs.

I like your thinking, in that case I can fill my car up at one petrol station and take a note of the readings and pay somewhere else, after all it all comes from the same oil fields.

clocKwize

cajef wrote: »

I like your thinking, in that case I can fill my car up at one petrol station and take a note of the readings and pay somewhere else, after all it all comes from the same oil fields.

That isn't the same logic, as that would be if I were plugged directly in to BGs supply, then opted to pay npower.

All this energy is on paper, therefore the numbers will balance either way.

BG are staking a claim on that used energy because the old owner was with them..