Comercial Energy Suppliers Supply My Domestic Property - HELP!!!

nmc1978_2

I have had an issue with my electricity supplier to say the least. About 5 years ago I received a telephone call from a company offering me cheap electricity. This was a business call to my work number, I worked from home because that was where my company was registered. I explained that this was my domestic property the sales person informed me it did not matter who paid the bill we just needed to address the bills to the company. At the time this seems reasonable and we had no problems. However about a year later we liquidated our company. I phoned them to tell them we were liquidating the company but everything would stay the same and gave them the name of my new company. During that time I also had twins so my attention was taken up else where. However sometime later I noticed that the direct debit had not been taken for the electricity for over a year! I contacted the company and said you haven't taken the direct debit, they informed me that the company I was calling didn't exist and never called me back, I contacted them again, no one called me back. They continued to supply me with electricity and send the bills through. I called them again and still no one called me back. Eventually I got hold of someone who looked at the account and said I had to pay them over £1,000.00 immediately. At the time I didn't have a £1000.00 so I after trying to negotiate a sensible payment plan, and getting absolutely no where being charged out of contract extortionate rates and the balance soaring in the thousands (for a 3 bedroom domestic property) I contacted the citizens advise bureau to get them to help me and mediate. Truthfully, I think the CAB just gave the supplier time to get the ducks in a row and did not help me massively. However, initially the supplier said that they would let me switch the suppliers if I agreed to a payment plan, bearing in mind this balance was still in the 1000's,they wanted me to clear it in three months which I couldn't, they said they would not let me switch suppliers and rejected my request to switch after agreeing to it, they won't let me go as a customer but the will not put me on contract rates embarrassingly I have paid over £6,000.00 to dates just to get away from them yet I have just been informed that I still owe the £1,939.79. I am embarrassed by this and must except some of the responsibility but they have turned out to be a ruthless dishonest company and I now feel I am the victim I don't mind paying for something I've had but I think that I have paid above and beyond. I expect I will have to pay them this money to get rid of them but if anyone can give me any advice that will get rid of them so I can get away from the I would be really grateful.

footyguy

nmc1978 wrote: »

I have had an issue with my electricity supplier to say the least. About 5 years ago I received a telephone call from a company offering me cheap electricity. This was a business call to my work number, I worked from home because that was where my company was registered. I explained that this was my domestic property the sales person informed me it did not matter who paid the bill we just needed to address the bills to the company. At the time this seems reasonable and we had no problems. However about a year later we liquidated our company. I phoned them to tell them we were liquidating the company but everything would stay the same and gave them the name of my new company. During that time I also had twins so my attention was taken up else where. However sometime later I noticed that the direct debit had not been taken for the electricity for over a year! I contacted the company and said you haven't taken the direct debit, they informed me that the company I was calling didn't exist and never called me back, I contacted them again, no one called me back. They continued to supply me with electricity and send the bills through. I called them again and still no one called me back. Eventually I got hold of someone who looked at the account and said I had to pay them over £1,000.00 immediately. At the time I didn't have a £1000.00 so I after trying to negotiate a sensible payment plan, and getting absolutely no where being charged out of contract extortionate rates and the balance soaring in the thousands (for a 3 bedroom domestic property) I contacted the citizens advise bureau to get them to help me and mediate. Truthfully, I think the CAB just gave the supplier time to get the ducks in a row and did not help me massively. However, initially the supplier said that they would let me switch the suppliers if I agreed to a payment plan, bearing in mind this balance was still in the 1000's,they wanted me to clear it in three months which I couldn't, they said they would not let me switch suppliers and rejected my request to switch after agreeing to it, they won't let me go as a customer but the will not put me on contract rates embarrassingly I have paid over £6,000.00 to dates just to get away from them yet I have just been informed that I still owe the £1,939.79. I am embarrassed by this and must except some of the responsibility but they have turned out to be a ruthless dishonest company and I now feel I am the victim I don't mind paying for something I've had but I think that I have paid above and beyond. I expect I will have to pay them this money to get rid of them but if anyone can give me any advice that will get rid of them so I can get away from the I would be really grateful.

Why don't you liquidate the company, and start a new one up again like you've done previously?

Good luck!

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

If you pay buisness rates, VAT is 20% not the 5% domestic properties pay.

If the first company was liquidated, why wasn't the debt to the energy company written off?

As suggested above, now liquidate your current company and those energy debts will be written off.

Then get your property reclassified as a domestic property. There are rules where 'micro buisnesses' for people working from home have the the same protection as domestic customers.

nmc1978_2

Thank you for your replies - but I cannot liquidate the company over this it has taken a lot of hard work to get the company where it is. At the time of liquidation there was no debt to this supplier because the direct debit was going out. There are no companys registered from this address now would this count as "reclassified"? The point is they won't release me from their supply, they didnt when we liquidated the company before. And now I could just give them another £2,000.00 and have done with but I think I've already paid too much for the electricity, they are impossible to deal with there seems to be no one with a reasonable helpful side that works there. My fear is this will just continue and the costs are going to spiral, I don't really know what to say to them to get their attention I'm just being held to ransom at the moment. Plus I want to move and I can't until I get this sorted.

Cardew

What rate of VAT have you been paying on both companies?

Ectophile

As this is a business energy contract, none of your consumer rights will apply. On the plus side, I would expect that if you cannot pay, the worst they can do is chase your business - but that could still involve county court judgements, and perhaps bailiffs or a winding up order on your company.

These energy companies often prey on small businesses with contracts that look good to start with, but turn out in the long run to be overpriced and difficult to get out of.

I suspect you will need better advice than the CAB can offer, and it will involve carefully reading the contract - so you'll need somebody who knows contract law.

Cardew

As said above, Micro-buisnesses do now have some consumer rights, so I suggest you read this ofgem publication to see what is relevant.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/business-gas-and-electricity-guide/understand-energy-contracts-businesses

Micro business consumer. A non-domestic consumer is defined as a micro business if they meet one of the following criteria: employs fewer than 10 employees (or their full time equivalent) and has an annual turnover or balance sheet no greater than €2 million; or. uses no more than 100,000 kWh of electricity per year; ...29 Jul 2015