First Utility Asking for Payment After Confirmed Closure of Account

Nfrostick

HI,

I lived in a property served by first utility from November 2014 - November 2015. During this time I had a fixed direct debit for gas and electricity and paid into an account with first utility. When I moved out of the property, I requested to close the account. It took a long time for first utility to send me the final bill as they said that although I had been paying into the account each month, no deductions had been made. This was finally resolved in February 2016 and deductions for the final bill were made. I was then reimbursed £300 which was left as outstanding credit on the account. First Utility are now claiming that I owe £300 on account as they hadn't issued a final bill.

I still have a copy of the final bill and email chain but First Utility are claiming the account was not closed down properly.

Do you know my rights with this? I was reimbursed the money and told the account was closed and now 2 years later they are claiming I owe money.

Please help.

footyguy

Nfrostick wrote: »

HI,

I lived in a property served by first utility from November 2014 - November 2015. During this time I had a fixed direct debit for gas and electricity and paid into an account with first utility. When I moved out of the property, I requested to close the account. It took a long time for first utility to send me the final bill as they said that although I had been paying into the account each month, no deductions had been made. This was finally resolved in February 2016 and deductions for the final bill were made. I was then reimbursed £300 which was left as outstanding credit on the account. First Utility are now claiming that I owe £300 on account as they hadn't issued a final bill.

I still have a copy of the final bill and email chain but First Utility are claiming the account was not closed down properly.

Do you know my rights with this? I was reimbursed the money and told the account was closed and now 2 years later they are claiming I owe money.

Please help.

Welcome to MSE :hello:

I'm a bit confused as to the issues you may have, but perhaps this information will assist you

If F.U. sent you a final bill, it will say on the bill it is a final bill.

However, they can revise that final bill (i.e. issue another) if they later discover an error was made.

You need to understand the basis they would have needed to issue another final bill. Depending on the circumstances, it could be possible the 12 month backbilling rule may apply to your advantage.

Be aware that the 12 month backbilling code is a voluntary agreement. Legally, a creditor has 6 years from last acknowledgement to pursue debts owed (5 years in Scotland)

dogshome

As footguy has posted, FU can send as many 'Final Bills' as they care to issue

However what they can't do is just make a demand for payment, unless that demand is by way of Bill that lists all the usual data- Start Read date/End Read date/Kwh consumed/Tariff prices/Standing Charge/ VAT

If you have not recieved such a bill, advise FU you won't pay anything till they do issue a bill, and when you get it CHECK IT

brewerdave

Assuming that the property was rented then what may have happened is that the new tenants have given opening readings which are higher than the closing readings that you gave on vacating the property -thus trying to pass some of their usage on to you OR the landlord may be trying to get you to pay for the bills whilst the property was unoccupied.
As per the last post ,you need a fully detailed bill from FU to compare with the bill that you had settled in 2015.

Cardew

Nfrostick wrote: »

HI,

I lived in a property served by first utility from November 2014 - November 2015.


Do you know my rights with this? I was reimbursed the money and told the account was closed and now 2 years later they are claiming I owe money.

Please help.

Welcome to the forum.

Why 2 years if you moved out in Nov 2105 and matter was resolved in Feb 2016?

As said above, there is often a discrepancy in closing meter readings and the opening meter readings of the new account.

When was the last meter reading by a meter reader whilst you lived in the property?

Assuming the property was rented, surely the letting agent should have verified your closing meter readings? Did they check when you moved in?

SammenForLivet2

Have the readings changed, and why, that F.U. have used to invoice you?

System

I agree with Brewerdave, Landlords never seem to think that they are liable for standing charges every week their property remains empty and that could me many months. they would pass on the S.C. debt to the next tenant every time or even just give them the old key/card completer with its £15 debt every week..These meters need to be retired to the skip and smart prepayment meters taking over asap