British Gas House Move Fiasco!

rs20033

I am after a bit of advice please. Long story (and I can't remember every detail) but I will try to keep it brief...

We moved house 6 months ago. We were with British Gas, and arranged for them to transfer our gas and electric accounts on their website. Basically, the whole thing got messed up. From what I understand, the meter numbers on our street had got messed up. The gas sorted itself out and we are happy with the readings and are paying for it.

With the electric, we couldn't agree the start reading (the website told us they had a different start reading to what we had). We checked it when we moved in, and I have an email from our landlord confirming it. We have had several people (British Gas and independent) come to check the meter. This is when it became apparent that the machine serial numbers had been mixed up. N Power were, in fact, supplying our electricity, and the bills were going next door (I think). N power have agreed to transfer the meter to British Gas but have sent us a bill for what we owe up to now. British Gas have credited our account with the dual fuel discount but apart from that, they have been unhelpful (we have had to chase this up with both themselves and N power).

Rightly or wrongly, I had been presuming that once British Gas sorted this, they would divide the balance over the rest of the year and we could pay more on our Direct Debit each month to pay it off. Also with my bank, I get 3% cashback on DD payments. Now it seems that we need to pay N power a large chunk of money, and I'm assuming they won't transfer the account to British Gas until we do.

What rights do I have here? Should I just pay N power, or am I within my right to refuse to deal with them, and make British Gas sort everything out? The n power bill came a week ago when we were on holiday, and is due today so this is pretty urgent, as I don't want it to affect my credit file. We never agreed to be N powers customer. We only have an agreement with British Gas (although we have had to speak to N power to get this resolved).

If I have to pay it, that's fine, but if not, do I speak to N Power, British Gas or both?

Hope this all makes sense. Let me know if you need any more information!

Thanks!

System

Hi - welcome to the forum. Just for the avoidance of any doubt, when you moved in did you contact the deemed supplier and give them a meter reading?

rs20033

Hi and thanks for the welcome and reply. When we moved in, we submitted the readings to British Gas, after previously doing a house move on their website. When we tried to set up the payment and were asked to confirm a reading, that's when it came up with a different start reading. I'm not sure if the previous tenants were paying for the right meter, but they were with N Power.

System

I am afraid that you may have unwittingly caused the mess than you now find yourselves in. When you move into a property, the law has already established what is termed a Deemed Contract with the existing supplier/s. This is to ensure continuity of supply. You need to contact these suppliers and then you are free to initiate a switch. The attempts by BG to takeover your supply should have been stopped. If BG has taken over supply that this needs to be treated as an Erroneous Transfer of Supply. The Deemed Supplier has every right, I am afraid, to charge you for the energy consumed.

I would contact NPower and tell them that you have made a mistake, that you will pay the bill and you will be switching. You will not pay for the same energy twice. All this may take time for the 2 companies to sort out.

rs20033

Thanks for your help. I don't remember doing that when we moved before, but maybe the supplier was the same so it didn't need doing. Will be glad just to get it sorted! Thanks,