First Utility - UK Energy Back Billing Code

rayhool

Long story cut short! I Didn't have a bill from First Utility for 19 months after countless backwards and forwards and the involvement of the Energy Ombudsman they have finally started billing me.

Under the UK Energy Back Billing code they can only bill me for the last 12 months, hence they're crediting my account for the 7 months energy use previous to the 12 months, the credit seemed a little low so when I questioned this I was told it didn't include the standing charge only the energy use, they explained the standing charge didn't have to be repaid.

I haven't got a clue whether what they're telling me is correct, I've asked the Ombudsman but they take around a month to respond! Does anyone on here have any idea?

naedanger

rayhool wrote: »

Long story cut short! I Didn't have a bill from First Utility for 19 months after countless backwards and forwards and the involvement of the Energy Ombudsman they have finally started billing me.

Under the UK Energy Back Billing code they can only bill me for the last 12 months, hence they're crediting my account for the 7 months energy use previous to the 12 months, the credit seemed a little low so when I questioned this I was told it didn't include the standing charge only the energy use, they explained the standing charge didn't have to be repaid.

I haven't got a clue whether what they're telling me is correct, I've asked the Ombudsman but they take around a month to respond! Does anyone on here have any idea?

See the following link, which explains the back-billing principle that suppliers must adhere to.

http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/files/2010/01/Back-billing-leaflet-2012.pdf

It seems that First Utility are arguing that the standing charges are not part of the energy bill. Personally I would dispute this and complain formally to them.

I would simply state that the standing charges are obviously part of the energy bill and so must be waived (in the circumstances covered by the back billing principle).

If they did not agree and did not provide any additional wording from Ofgem then I would take my case to the Ombudsman. (No guarantee the Ombudsman will agree of course.)

footyguy

rayhool wrote: »

Long story cut short! I Didn't have a bill from First Utility for 19 months after countless backwards and forwards and the involvement of the Energy Ombudsman they have finally started billing me.

Under the UK Energy Back Billing code they can only bill me for the last 12 months, hence they're crediting my account for the 7 months energy use previous to the 12 months, the credit seemed a little low so when I questioned this I was told it didn't include the standing charge only the energy use, they explained the standing charge didn't have to be repaid.

I haven't got a clue whether what they're telling me is correct, I've asked the Ombudsman but they take around a month to respond! Does anyone on here have any idea?

You should have ensured this was all dealt with in the ombudsman's resolution to your compliant.

If you have already accepted the proposed resolution in full & final settlement of your compliant, then I don't think the ombudsman will assist you further, even in a month's time.

If you have not yet accepted the proposed resolution, contact the ombudsman to get this detail included in it before you accept it. It should not take anything like a month for them to respond in such circumstances,

molerat

Back-billing principle
If your supplier is at fault, it will not seek additional payment for unbilled energy used more than 12 months prior to the error being detected and a
corrected bill being issued

Obviously open to interpretation. What is the exact wording of the ruling ?

rayhool

Just an update on this, after a complaint to First Utility regarding this they've agreed to include the standing charge in my refund.

Thanks for all the responses.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

naedanger wrote: »

See the following link, which explains the back-billing principle that suppliers must adhere to.

http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/files/2010/01/Back-billing-leaflet-2012.pdf

Surely only the 5 suppliers that are signatories to this are bound by the code?

Well done OP on a positive result btw

naedanger

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

Surely only the 5 suppliers that are signatories to this are bound by the code?

Well done OP on a positive result btw

All domestic energy suppliers are bound by the back billing principle and have been since 2007. Those suppliers that are not signatories to the back billing code will have had to implement the back billing principle using some other mechanism. For example SSE covers the back billing principle through its customer charter, which includes standards of service in relation to billing and back billing that meet the back billing principle.

PS Thanks to the OP for the update, which was good to hear.

footyguy

rayhool wrote: »

Just an update on this, after a complaint to First Utility regarding this they've agreed to include the standing charge in my refund.

Thanks for all the responses.

That's actually quite surprising, especially with the experience I have had with FU.

Any organisation, where a customer has asked an ombudsman to investigate a complaint (and the ombudsman agrees to do so) has the right (and often excercises that right) not to discuss that complaint further with the customer.

footyguy

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

Surely only the 5 suppliers that are signatories to this are bound by the code?

All suppliers have to abide by the principles of the code.

http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/files/2010/01/Back-billing-leaflet-2012.pdf