EON Back Billing & Management Company Errors

theboylloyd

I recently received an E-ON back bill relating to a property I lived in from late 2012 to mid 2014. The bill was £900 for around 18 months electricity.

When I moved into the property my management company advised me all my utility companies had been contacted, and around 5 months later I got a British Gas bill for £540. I (perhaps foolishly in hindsight) assumed it was a combined gas/elec bill, due to both the amount and the fact it came in KW/h. I completed my tenancy at the property and while "checking out" was advised (in writing) that the property was British Gas supplied for both utilities. They also told me they had provided British Gas BOTH meter readings and closed my account. I knew nothing of E-ON.

Five months passed and I received the E-ON bill at my new address. It was dated incorrectly, my name was mispelt, and when I rang E-ON they had no information other than my name and address (DOB/phone/password). When asked, they were unable to tell me who opened the account, who provided the readings (i did not), and why the account was so incomplete.

Many calls and weeks later and getting nowhere I raised a complaint in their system.

More than a month later, and very frustrated, they have looked at the accounts before and after mine and they now think my management company failed to notify them of my tenancy in 2012, and only when a new tenant moved in were my details passed to them (2014).

They can't tell me any of this for certain, as all they have is a note on their system saying "Kevin called from management company". They are now pointing the finger at my management company, and have offered my a 12 month payment plan and £50 goodwill bill reduction.

Feel a bit like the victim in a big wind up, does anyone know if there are options available to me beyond just paying and shutting up?

Might the management company be liable? Is it worth taking such a case to the Ombudsman?

Thanks in advance,
theboylloyd

System

You can only take a case to an Ombudsman if you have used the energy company's complaints' procedure and 8 weeks has passed. There is a basic principle that you cannot be billed twice for the energy used. My first port of call would be the management company. I would submit a Subject Access Request asking for copies of all the information that they hold on your letting. I would also ask the two energy companies for details of when the accounts with them were opened/closed and the start meter reads. In sum, I think that you need to put together an evidence trail before you decide whether the energy companies or the management company is at fault.

Finally, you do not say what the size the property was or how it was heated: £1440 for gas and electricity over 18 months is not extortionate.

These things can be a real pain to resolve: I hope that it goes well for you.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi theboylloyd and welcome to the Forums.

This sounds a real mess and you've done the right thing in going down the complaints route. If you're unhappy with the resolution offered you can, as Hengus says, go to the Ombudsman once the complaint is over 56 days old. Or earlier if we've reached deadlock. If we have, we'll send a letter confirming this.

In situations where responsibility for energy accounts changes hands, we rely on being told about the new arrangements. This can come from the new or old owner/tenant, a letting agent, management company, landlord etc. There's various ways of doing this including by phone or through our website.

Once notified, we'll close the old account and open a new one for those taking over responsibility. Ideally, using meter readings as this keeps things accurate.

From your post, it looks as though we weren't told you had taken over responsibility in 2012. I suspect we either continued billing the previous occupant or the management company, possibly using estimated meter readings. It seems it wasn't until the tenancy changed again last year that we were contacted. This would've triggered a chain of events leading to the bill you've now received.

Did a meter reader call during your tenancy or is the meter outside? If yes to either, we could've been receiving meter readings this way. Also, the new tenant may have given us their starting readings. These may have been used as your final readings.

The resolution we've offered seems fairly consistent with what I'd expect in these circumstances but, as above, please use the Ombudsman if unhappy with the offer.

Totally understand your frustration theboylloyd and hope this helps point you in the right direction.

Malc