How can Utility company charge you when they werent suppler????

dawniecall

Absolutely baffled. Have been with First Utility for a few years no probs. In April someone opened an account with Scottish Power under our address (different name) so they took our power supply. Spent ages on calls to First Utility who did erroneous transfer for us and I called Scottish Power to make sure they did it. After months of calls trying to get it sorted resorted to contacting MP. July First Utility sent us a final bill for up to April when it was taken over by SP. SP rang and spoke to husband and apologised for their error and offered him £40 compensation and said they would absorb the cost of the energy. (The account opened was a payg ours is on DD which FU cancelled back in March).

Still didnt get supply back and kept trying to go online and all it said was we were no longer a customer. First Utility then comfirmed they should of had supply back in August and September (why not together dont know) . Contacted MP again and Ombudsman and all along we have said we were worried about getting a big bill but were assured no we wouldnt be liable and when SP said they would absorb costs made us a bit happier. Ombudsman in their recommendations for a resolve are saying that First Utility have to give uys an affordable payment plan for the debt from when they gave supply over to SP. I have said we don't agree that it should be back to April yes from August when they got supply back but have been told by Ombudsman as they have no proof in writing that we have to pay it and cant appeal to them any more but are within our rights to go to court. If we don't accept their proposals in 28 days FU don't have to honour them so could make us pay in one lump sum.

How can FU charge us if they weren't our supplier I have a final bill from them and an email saying when they should of got supply back.

Anyone any ideas what we do as cant afford solicitors (am on disability benefit) to fight this.

JJ_Egan

What is the amount and is it worth throwing good money after bad ??

Ombudsman has ruled yes and you now have the court option .

Who did you pay for energy used between April and August ??Or have you not paid for that period ??

molerat

You have got to pay one supplier or the other for the energy consumed. What happened to all the money put aside to pay for that energy whilst the supply was in dispute ? You have received compensation from SP for their error taking over the supply so now need to pay FU for what you have used. You are obviously trying to get April to August free, it aint gonna happen. You don't need a solicitor to go to court but I don't hold out much hope of a judge finding in your favour. If you don't come to some arrangement soon you will be back to pre-pays.

dawniecall

Dont know the amount as cant get into my online account with them despite them resetting it for me. The money we would of paid in DD is in an account but not gauranteed it will cover it as havent been able to keep eye on and pay extra if we went over.
No Im not trying to get it free I just dont understand why we pay FU when it was SP suppling us.

Cardew

dawniecall wrote: »

No Im not trying to get it free I just dont understand why we pay FU when it was SP suppling us.

The gas/electricity in the pipes/wires is obviously exactly the same regardless of which company supplies you.


If FU are going to charge you, they will pay their supplier and SP won't; it is just an accounting exercise.


When SP said they wouldn't charge, you obviously understood that to mean SP would cover the cost of the gas/electricity you had consumed in the months since the erroneous transfer. However that appears to be a misunderstanding on your part, as it usually means the SP will not raise any charges for that period, not that they will give you the energy free. It seems that the ombudsman agrees with that conclusion i.e. you are to be treated as if you never left FU.


It is also difficult to see what 'error' SP have made if someone opened an account using your address.


Certainly FU are innocent in this matter. They have now paid their supplier for your gas/electricity from April and expect you do the same.

naedanger

dawniecall wrote: »

A
How can FU charge us if they weren't our supplier I have a final bill from them and an email saying when they should of got supply back.

One way of thinking of it is that FU have been your supplier all along as you have only ever had a contract with them. (SP never had any right to payment from you as you never agreed a contract with them.)

Unfortunately if the Ombudsman has given their final decision then they will not look at it further.

I suggest you speak to FU, and try and get them to agree to accept repayment of the accrued bill over as long a period as possible.

System

The policy on erroneous transfers (The Erroneous Transfers Charter) states that the customer should be put back into the same position as he/she would have been had the erroneous transfer not taken place. The erroneous supplier is required to repay any payments made, and the customer pays his old supplier for all the energy consumed as if he/she had remained a customer with the old supplier for the entire period. It is then down to the two suppliers to resolve costs.

In sum, erroneous transfers happen all too frequently but there is a Charter to resolve the situation without any additional costs to the customer. Naedanger's advice is as usual very sound.