2014 Gas bill for useage Dec12-Apr13

832

Yesterday I came home to a final reminder from my old energy supplier saying I owe £303.

I had no bill from them prior to this letter and moved away from them in April 2013.

I signed back into my online account after having to get my username emailed to me and password reset as I had forgotten the details.

Turns out this is a gas bill dated March 2014 for our final usage dating from Dec 12 to April 2013.

The last invoice on the account was for the final electric bill that was invoiced in May 2013 and paid in full.

I spoke to the old supplier and they said they had technical issues and that a letter was sent out to customers in December to inform them of this.

I had no such letter and I told them I hadnt had the bill either, just this reminder.

After searching the internet it looks like they cant charge for this as it is useage dating back over a year. I didnt hold back any payment or stop them from reading the meters.

My new energy company informed them that I was leaving them and all the dates and meter readings match. I just dont agree with how they can charge me in 2014 for useage in 2012-2013.

Apparently Im now on stage 1 of their debt collection and have 7 days left before I go to stage 2.

Has anyone had this before and have you managed to prove they shouldnt be charging for it?

Thanks

matelodave

Did you use the gas and did you pay for it - surely when you left you should have been aware if you paid the bill or not.
If you used it then you should pay for it, rather than hoping that you can avoid it. As far as I know they can bill you for up to six years.
If you don't pay it then someone else has to by higher tariff charges.

macman

Di you make any attempt to contact them when you did not receive a final bill? If not, then the back billing code does not seem to apply. If it does not, then they can back bill up to 6 years.

StuC75

So you knew that there was an outstanding gas bill and never sought to correct this? Since there was a difference between the last gas bill and the closing\opening reading for the new supplier?..

Sounds a clear case to me of balance being due?..

832

As they billed me the electric as the final bill, I thought at the time the final gas one would follow on later in the month. Eventually I just forgot about all about it.

As I had forgotten about it I didnt contact them for a final bill for the gas. The final electric one had a total on the account remaining to pay as the invoice value and so I paid that and must have just thought that was it all cleared up. An oversight on my part now that I can see there was no gas final bill.

I dont dispute the use of the gas its purely how they have managed to invoice me so late and not send me the bill

giraffe69

When this happened to me there was also a dispute about how much and there were all sorts of threats, red bills, black bills and possible debt collectors and speaking to the pond life had no effect at all.

Eventually got on to someone who knew what they were talking about but my you have to be persistent.
They apologised reduced the bill and I paid the rest because we had used the gas. Like you the Electricity bit was settled promptly and without problem.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

giraffe69 wrote: »

When this happened to me there was also a dispute about how much and there were all sorts of threats, red bills, black bills and possible debt collectors and speaking to the pond life had no effect at all.

Eventually got on to someone who knew what they were talking about but my you have to be persistent.
They apologised reduced the bill and I paid the rest because we had used the gas. Like you the Electricity bit was settled promptly and without problem.

Charmed, I'm sure.

Cardew

832 wrote: »

As they billed me the electric as the final bill, I thought at the time the final gas one would follow on later in the month. Eventually I just forgot about all about it.

As I had forgotten about it I didnt contact them for a final bill for the gas.

1. You should read this Back billing code carefully:


http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/component/jdownloads/finish/3/703.html

When does the back-billing principle apply?


Each case is looked at on its own merits; however,


the 12 month limit for back-bills may apply in these
examples when your supplier has:

• Failed to bill you at all and you have requested

bills from them;

I think you will find that the code also stipulates that Utility companies only have to prove that they sent correspondence.

In a dispute, a claim by the customer that they never received that correspondence carries no weight. Otherwise many of us would 'try it on'!

Cardew

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

Charmed, I'm sure.

I have had some dealings with debt collectors(DCA) on behalf of third parties, and calling them 'pond life' is an insult to the creatures in my pond.;)