reveived gas bill, but she doesn't even have a gas supply!

btowill

A friend of mine bought a converted flat in November and has recently started receiving threatening letters from British Gas claiming the property owes nearly £700 in gas usage. The weird thing is she doesn't have a gas supply!

She's called them and explained this, but they have said that the meter was read in January and had incurred a usage, but they couldn't tell her where it is located. the flat she has purchased is part of a larger development of a manor house and outbuildings, so she's wondering if they have got the wrong flat? Perhaps the number of her flat relates to a historic address elsewhere in the development?

The letters are actually addressed to a building company, but not the building company who did the conversion work.

She's got the serial number from the gas meter, so how is she able to find out where it is? The difficult thing is that she is working elsewhere in the country for the next few weeks, so doesn't want them to break in to her flat in the meantime!

Many thanks for any help and suggestions!

daveyjp

She needs to write to them, tell them they are billing incorrectly and to sort out the problem at their end.

She also needs to let them no in no uncertain terms that further demands for payment for a non existent supply will result in a claim for harrassment.

macman

Why is she opening bills addressed to another company? She should not have got involved in this-they should be returned unopened marked 'not known at this address'.

vuvuzela

macman wrote: »

Why is she opening bills addresed to another company? She should not have got involved in this-they should be returned unopened marked 'not known at this address'.

Burying your head in the sand isn't always an effective strategy, particularly when the worst case scenario is people turning up at your house/flat with court orders. By far the best thing to do is nip it in the bud and get things in writing to them straight away.

undaunted

I too would write stating the facts - eg property has no supply, details of conversion, when bought and perhaps from who & asking them to cease further correspondence to this address and resolve the matter at their end

Fire_Fox

if you receive formal communication the best course of action is formal communication, ie. a letter preferably recorded delivery not a telephone call.

macman

vuvuzela wrote: »

Burying your head in the sand isn't always an effective strategy, particularly when the worst case scenario is people turning up at your house/flat with court orders. By far the best thing to do is nip it in the bud and get things in writing to them straight away.

It's not 'burying your head in the sand'. She's committing an offence by opening someone else's post. If she returns them unopened then it's up to the supplier to trace the other customer.

Fire_Fox

macman wrote: »

It's not 'burying your head in the sand'. She's committing an offence by opening someone else's post. If she returns them unopened then it's up to the supplier to trace the other customer.

Not that simple.
"Under the Postal Services Act 2000:

“A person commits an offence if he, without reasonable excuse, intentionally delays or opens a postal packet in the course of its transmission by post, or intentionally opens a mail bag.”

“A person commits an offence if intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.”."
http://www.findlaw.co.uk/law/criminal/other_crime_and_justice_topics/500355.html

[Deleted User]

I have met lots of people claiming they dont have a gas supply over the years and have unearthed a gas meter hidden away. There could be one in a communal cupboard, outside in a ground level brown box. Completly rule out a gas meter by a really good seach, I ve even had a gas meter set into a drain tunnel under the house

Wywth

btowill wrote: »

A friend of mine bought a converted flat in November and has recently started receiving threatening letters from British Gas ...

The letters are actually addressed to a building company, but not the building company who did the conversion work.

Just send them straight back, unopened.

Cross through the address and mark the envelope "Not known at this address"

Pop them back in a post box next time you are passing one. No stamp required.

Simples! :cool:

vuvuzela

macman wrote: »

It's not 'burying your head in the sand'. She's committing an offence by opening someone else's post. If she returns them unopened then it's up to the supplier to trace the other customer.

No she isn't.
They won't spend any effort trying to trace anyone else, it will just be progressed to legal matters. Dealing with it now is by far the best option.