Large monthly heat/electricity bill from Ener-g switch2

Badrick57

My domestic hot water and electricity is supplied by Ener-g Switch2 and over the past four years I have had no problem at all, however I recently received a large monthly bill and I would like to ask for a little help/advice here.

Switch2 claim that a standing charge for hot water (£0.67 per day) should have been applied to my account in June 2013, however due to an administration error this was not put on my account until last month (October 2014). The backdated standing charge for the 460 day period is roughly £308.

Naturally I was a bit surprised by this given that I had never been told a standing charge would be due from June 2013. I spoke to Switch2 and they said that I had been told about this charge, which isn't true, and essentially they won't budge and want me to pay as soon as possible.

I have emailed Switch2 quite a few times (I can never get through on the phone) but they have completely stopped getting back to me now and I have no method of communicating with them. I might have shot myself in the foot a bit by doing so, but I canceled my direct debit a few weeks ago as I can't afford to have £300 odd just taken out of my account.

I will do my best to get the money in place, but my view was that as this isn't my error I shouldn't have to pay, especially given that it is (to me) a not insignificant amount of money. I read up on OFGEMs stance on backdated bills which I took to mean that I couldn't be asked to pay a back issued bill over 12 months, but Switch2 told me that this does not apply to them. I considered approaching the ombudsman, however Switch2 are not registered so I don't think they can do much.

So that is the situation I find myself in. I appreciate this is a bit long winded for a first post, however I would very much appreciate any help or advice from the members of this forum on this matter.

molerat

The back billing code is a "gentlemen's agreement" mainly agreed between the big 6 and is not part of statute. You are pretty much at the mercy of these community / district scheme suppliers.

JJ_Egan

<but I canceled my direct debit a few weeks ago>

Are you in contract ??

Badrick57

JJ_Egan wrote: »

<but I canceled my direct debit a few weeks ago>

Are you in contract ??

I have never signed a contract with Switch2, they are the de facto provider for the building I live in.

Andy_WSM

Badrick57 wrote: »

I have never signed a contract with Switch2, they are the de facto provider for the building I live in.

You don't need to sign a contract. A contract is formed as soon as you use their services.

Badrick57

Does being in a contract mean I am liable to pay this backdated standing charge? I appreciate that since it has been brought to my attention I'll have to pay it going forward, that isnt a problem, but as I was never given any notice of it being applied in the first place could they not just be backdating it to some arbitrary date?

Andy_WSM

Badrick57 wrote: »

Does being in a contract mean I am liable to pay this backdated standing charge? I appreciate that since it has been brought to my attention I'll have to pay it going forward, that isnt a problem, but as I was never given any notice of it being applied in the first place could they not just be backdating it to some arbitrary date?

It's highly unlikely that any company is just trying it on and making up some arbitary date. They may well have written to you and the post service failed to deliver - that's not their fault. As long as they can prove they generated a batch of letters to go out to customers it would be reasonable for them to assume they will get delivered.

As stated above, they have not agreed to the back billing rules so in theory can bill you, but you could certainly ask them for a good will reduction and it definitely wouldn't be unreasonable to ask them to split the bill over a period of time.