desperately seeking answers - please help

1316Baggies

I do hope someone on here can help me with some practical advice

I rented a property through an estate agency/management company from 1st Nov 12-1st Nov 14. When I left they asked for my forwarding address and I gave it to them.

I've got home to my new house today to a bill from EDF for over £2,500 which apparently relates to the previous address!!

Whilst at that address I paid Gas & Electric through British Gas and was told in my tenancy agreement that I was not able to switch.

Now a new girl at the estate agency has emailed to say that this bill to EDF for Electric has been billed to them and she says I am liable to pay it.

I do not understand. I think there was a mix up with the meters for my basement flat and the top floor flat which their tenant told me about as I was leaving as she was too, but I thought that they were being switched back for the new tenants.

My questions are..

1) Are the Estate Agencies able to give out your personal details like this? Do they not have a duty of care to tenants in this case? I feel like they've just thrown me under the bus by saying bills are my responsibility!!!

2) How on earth can EDF say that one single person can spend £2.5k on Electricity in two years and then pay it in one go? I've just moved and post xmas am so broke

3) I've made payments to British Gas. I've stupidly only kept one quarterly bill from this time period but it 100% says Electric & Gas on it. How can they make me now pay electric to EDF too?
EDF have given me until 25 Feb to pay this. What happens if I can't? Will this go to arrears and affect my credit rating?

4) Who is at fault here? Is it me?

I really hope someone can help! I am literally so stressed and it's the weekend so I cannot ring any of these people for help.

Many thanks in advance for anyone who can help me here.

Poppie68

1316Baggies wrote: »

I do hope someone on here can help me with some practical advice

I rented a property through an estate agency/management company from 1st Nov 12-1st Nov 14. When I left they asked for my forwarding address and I gave it to them.

I've got home to my new house today to a bill from EDF for over £2,500 which apparently relates to the previous address!!

Whilst at that address I paid Gas & Electric through British Gas and was told in my tenancy agreement that I was not able to switch.

Now a new girl at the estate agency has emailed to say that this bill to EDF for Electric has been billed to them and she says I am liable to pay it.

I do not understand. I think there was a mix up with the meters for my basement flat and the top floor flat which their tenant told me about as I was leaving as she was too, but I thought that they were being switched back for the new tenants.

My questions are..

1) Are the Estate Agencies able to give out your personal details like this? Do they not have a duty of care to tenants in this case? I feel like they've just thrown me under the bus by saying bills are my responsibility!!!

2) How on earth can EDF say that one single person can spend £2.5k on Electricity in two years and then pay it in one go? I've just moved and post xmas am so broke

3) I've made payments to British Gas. I've stupidly only kept one quarterly bill from this time period but it 100% says Electric & Gas on it. How can they make me now pay electric to EDF too?
EDF have given me until 25 Feb to pay this. What happens if I can't? Will this go to arrears and affect my credit rating?

4) Who is at fault here? Is it me?

I really hope someone can help! I am literally so stressed and it's the weekend so I cannot ring any of these people for help.

Many thanks in advance for anyone who can help me here.

If you were paying BG for your services they must of been producing bills so all documentation of proof can be obtained from them....What did EDF say when you rang them and explained this?



Don't worry about points 1,2 and 4 only 3 needs to be dealt with.

JReacher1

If you paid british Gas for the duration of your tenancy and had no contract with EDF then you owe them nothing.

However.

Are you sure you didn't just pay gas and have never paid electricity in over two years?

It would be your responsibility not the estate agents for any utility bills you have accrued. If you owe the money you'll have to pay it.

I would speak to british gas to clarify what you've paid for and use that as evidence with EDF.

1316Baggies

It's the weekend so I haven't been able to ring anyone about this yet, I got home on Friday night to the bill from EDF for £2.5k

I definitely paid Gas & Electric through British Gas..I received quarterly bills through the post and paid them on time every time they arrived. However I have only kept one in my files annoyingly but it clearly says Electric and Gas on it.

There was an issue my neighbour who also rents told me about where our metres were being switched...so I am thinking it must relate to this. I'm worried I was paying her bills for 2 years in good faith and now I am left with all this to pay! Could it be that?

Poppie68

Post your question on the utilities forum...further up the page you may get some better informed answers.

JReacher1

The bills were sent to your flat and you paid them quarterly. It's not your responsibility to ensure that the correct metre is linked to your address.

I would speak to BG confirm what you've paid for and just tell EDF you are not and have never been a customer of EDF. You have evidence that you paid a different supplier for the duration of your tenancy.

I also don't think you can live in a flat for two years and if you did owe EDF money not recieve a single bill.

I think your estate agent has given the wrong contact details to EDF

1316Baggies

I agree, the estate agency has completely thrown me under the bus here.

I can only assume that when the landlord of the flat above realised the metres were mixed up, EDF have come forward.

My worry is that for two years I have mistakenly paid the bills of the flat above..but obviously through no fault of my own.

I will speak to EDF/BG but I am so so scared they will still try and make me pay for someone elses mistake.

45002

1316Baggies

Why are you running 3 threads on same subject

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5176770

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5176766

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5176771

neilmcl

1316Baggies wrote: »

I agree, the estate agency has completely thrown me under the bus here.

I can only assume that when the landlord of the flat above realised the metres were mixed up, EDF have come forward.

My worry is that for two years I have mistakenly paid the bills of the flat above..but obviously through no fault of my own.

I will speak to EDF/BG but I am so so scared they will still try and make me pay for someone elses mistake.

I'd move away from this idea of you "mistakenly" paying another's bills. You have correctly paid the bills you received from the company you had a contract with, plain and simple. If there is any mistake it definitely isn't yours!

As advised earlier, the best place for this post would be on the Energy/utilities board.