First Utility - No bill 3 months after leaving

parmolover

Hello, I require some advice.

I sent a moving home request to First Utility on 1st July with a closing date of 12th July. In my eyes this was enough time. 12th July came and nothing, I checked my account and they had received a meter reading from me on 12th July, which is what I submitted but no final bill. So they did receive my request.

I phoned up and they said it can take up to 28 days to process. I mentioned to get my deposit back on my old flat, my landlord requires the final bill, they said they would put this through urgently.

Two weeks later still nothing so I phoned up again and no sign of this request. I wrote a review on trustpilot and about 11 days after someone from the complaints department contacted me. They sent me an email saying they would monitor my account and by doing this it would mean setting up a new account. I wrote back saying this is not what I want, I just want my bill but to no reply.

I rang up about a week later to the complaints department and the operator said I would have to speak to the person dealing with my complaint, she would write him an email to ring me back. He didn't. It was about 2 weeks later when he wrote me an email saying my new account was almost ready then about week later saying it was ready but it may take time to pass over the bills.

I went on holiday for 2 weeks and came back to 2 overdue letters from first utility. They were posted to my old address but I have Royal Mail redirection. Both of them said I owed them different amounts of money by about £300. They said I was overdue now by quite a lot and this was urgent. I phone the number given and it was an automated service. I emailed the complaints department and they did reply this time saying they would make sure I would not receive anymore notices.

The next week I did, saying they were going to install a prepaid meter and if required that they would charge me the bill for doing so. I phoned up, got told I need to speak to this particular person would would ring me back, and didn't. So I emailed myself and have had no reply. During this time I received a text saying I was 254 days overdue (Quite funny as I last paid in July) and to ring. So I did with the account number I apparently owed with (My old one) and it said my account doesn't exist. I tried my new account number and it said I am £618 in credit!

I am unsure what to do, I require the bill so I get my deposit back but first utility seem to be going nowhere, they aren't getting back to me. They are sending me overdue letters but no bills to say what I owe and aren't giving me an option of even paying.

macman

Your LL cannot legally withold your deposit based on any potemtial amount owing on your utility account-if there is any debt, it's not his. He is only responsible for any charges accruing between tenants, so enforce your rights. I presume your deposit is held in one of the recognised schemes and not actually by your LL?
No surprise that FU cannot produce accurate bills in a reasonable timescale, well documented on this board.

dogshome

Forget phoning & Emailing FU

WRITE a letter headed Complaint, ( The address for complaints will be on the back of previous bills), listing the saga of your requests for a Final Bill.
If FU don't respond satisfactorily in 56 days, you go to the Ombudsman on day 57

Once this letter is sent, all demands from FU should cease till the matter is settled - If they don't, then that in itself is cause for a further written complaint