Bill addressed to "the Occupier" - do I pay it?

fosswire

Hi
when I moved into my house, the gas and electric were both on prepayment meters with a certain supplier.

I subsequently changed to a different supplier and had normal meters installed so I can pay by direct debit.

I kept receiving letters from the original supplier addressed to "The Occupier" and as it seemed junk mail to me (such as "sorry you have left us, come back to us") I never bothered to open them.

However I got one today which I opened and it's a bill for around £30 dated May 2012 addressed to "The Occupier".

I can't see how I have a bill from that supplier when it was all done via pre-payment meters.

As the bills are not addressed to me, should I pay them ?

McKneff

Ring them and ask them, how this balance has come about.


Im surprised they haven't chased it up with debt collectors by now, 18 months later, have you checked your credit files,
The letters you have binned could have bearing on this.

teddysmum

McKneff wrote: »

Im surprised they haven't chased it up with debt collectors by now,
.

It's not cost effective for just £30.

fosswire

Managed to get through to someone at the electric suppliers (after 20 minute wait) and the person I spoke to confirmed it is a pre-payment meter but would not discuss it further due to data protection laws as I was not willing to give my name.

I don't want my name on the bill as I don't think I am responsible for it.

I've found the original final bill for the gas from April 2012 and it says zero balance and it is addressed to "the occupier".

So this bill is for the electric, which again should be zero balance.

Where do I go from here ?

Should I name the company in this forum in case an official representative of the company monitors the forum and might be able to help me ?

ic

Probably means when the supplier was switched, there was an outstanding debt on the meter. When you moved in, did you notify the existing supplier? Or, did you just keep topping up cards that the previous occupant left behind?

spacey2012

No name = no CCJ
Remember this.

fosswire

ic wrote: »

Probably means when the supplier was switched, there was an outstanding debt on the meter. When you moved in, did you notify the existing supplier? Or, did you just keep topping up cards that the previous occupant left behind?

@ic Yes I told the old supplier that I'd taken over the property as there were no keys left in the house as it was vacant and I had to go to a local shop to get new keys.

I already knew that I wanted to switch from that supplier and off pre-payment when I moved in, so it was quite hassle to get it all sorted.

I had to stay with the old supplier for a couple of months whilst new supplier arranged to take over the supply, and it then I arranged for the credit meters to be fixed.

Wouldn't the old supplier have stopped the new supplier taking over if there was an outstanding balance ?

[Deleted User]

There may have been a build up of weekly standing charge dating from the time that you accepted the property not when you moved in. all prepays pay a weekly standing charge even if they are not used.

chanz4

So if it was pre-pay and you used an unregistered supplier card, usage has been used so they are able to chase. Do take into account they may search for the owner via landregistry and ask for your tennancy/

fosswire

I'll see if the E.ON (or EON for search purposes) picks up this thread and can advise me on what to do seeing as telephone customer support would not talk to me about the bill.

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena

Hiya fosswire,

I just need to make sure I understand this.

Are we the new or old supplier to the property?

So you moved in to a new property, did you let the current supplier know you had moved in to open a new account for you, with your meter readings and details?

The change of supply process takes around 4-6 weeks so you'll have been supplied by the current supplier for a little while.

You should have had a letter joining you to the new company and I understand you have now had the pre-payment meters taken out.

Are the bills dated before you took responsibility of the property? As others have said, there is standing charge on Pre-payment meters and if other cards were used payments may have gone to incorrect accounts.

If the balance is before you moved in, then this will be for the previous occupier, but if we don't have a forwarding address for them the letters will go to the last known address. Unless we can be provided with one.

If you moved in after, then we wouldn't discuss someone else's account with you.

Thanks

Helena