Unknown gas supplier - Unable to change prepay meter (9 month saga)

Elliomi

Hi,

I bought a property in August last year which has a prepay meter topped up by an EDF branded card. I wanted to switch this to a smart meter, but have had big problems in the months since then in getting anyone to accept they supply my gas.

I originally contacted EDF who said my address wasn't registered and that the meter serial number they checked against the National Database meant it was registered to another flat number (3) and was supplied by Spark. Spark checked it out, gave me a MPRN and said it was actually registered to yet another flat number (4) and definitely supplied by EDF. EDF have spent months saying a vaiety of things that can basically be summed up as the serial number/MPRN I've supplied are registered to number 4 and not me, so they don't believe it's my gas meter (it definitely is. If I don't top it up it cuts off my supply). As of last week EDF are now saying the gas is supplied by E Gas. E Gas have said they've also checked for a MPRN but there's nothing registered to my address.

I've also phoned the National Grid directly who checked both serial numbers on the gas meter and have said neither is registered and there is no MPRN, and I need to contact an energy supplier about taking on the contract as a new customer and registering the meter.

But EDF and Spark won't accept me as a new customer as they say the meter is registered, but to flat 4 and not me.

I'm completely confused about what to do now. I've sent all these suppliers a picture of the gas meter and its two barcodes so they could check I had it right, and I don't really understand how from the same information everyone is coming up with such different answers.

If anyone has any advice about what to do, or how to definitively find out who does supply my gas and how to get it correctly registered on the National Database so I can move away from prepay meter I'd be so incredibly grateful. Sorry this was quite a long post, I tried to sum it up as succinctly as possilble but there's been so much backwards and forwards to different companies it's probably a bit hard to follow.

Thanks in advance!

MovingForwards

Who gave you the top up card? As if it was the previous owner /tenant then any money you have paid is not going to your unregistered account.

Dig out the Q & A form you received from your solicitor and see if it lists any supplier details (sorry it's been a few years since I did conveyancing).

Try this link and see if it's any help. Ive put a couple of spaces after the uk/ as I dont know if I can post links.

https://www.ukpower.co.uk/ who-supplies-my-gas-and-electricity

Have you recontacted national grid to explain the problem you are having?

MovingForwards

Can you ask the former owner to confirm the gas company and provide the account number? Explain the difficulties you are facing.

Carrot007

You have made issues more confusing by using the old top up card (It is not connected to your accoutn and is just causing a confusing mess). However I appriciate you want gas.


You might be best getting the serials for the meters for all flats and seeing if someone on here will check them on the national database for you. (I don't have the gas one unfortunatly).


Nerw build flats are a mess as the developer cares nothing about getting things right and justs elling. They are registered as plot numbers and chage later so numbers help nothing. Then companies chaneg the address on their ssytems and dont update the national database. Then there are supplier changes and the pain just goes on.


I know of a development that was not right after 15 years, despite some meter guy going out and checking all flats. Unfortunatly if no one is complaining other suppliers don't listen.


Unfortunatly comanies are fixarting on your address rather than your meter. Very comman and likely to lead to pain all around.


You will find it easier the less flats they are and if they are all registered.

Joyful

You can ask one of the suppliers to check Quantum on line. This will show which company is receiving the money from your top ups. I would then insist they sort out the problem.

Elliomi

Thanks for the help everyone.

The previous owner listed the supplier as EDF and left the EDF top-up card in a drawer for me. I've no contact details for her to check for an account number. I completely get that using the existing card wasn't ideal, but didn't feel like I had any option but to use it as the gas was disconnected when I moved in and without putting money on it I'd have had no hot water. I did contact EDF pretty quickly about it, I just never expected it to be nearly a year later with no step forward.

E Gas have agreed to check the other flats gas meter serial numbers along with mine to see. There are only four meters outside, and five flats in the building and I've left the missing flat a note to see if could provide me the serial number of their flat's meter, wherever it might be hidden. Hopefully E Gas can do something with the four serial numbers I do have though, and maybe that will clear things up finally.

I'm not sure if this is the same as checking Quantum, but when I get a PayPoint receipt it says EDF Energy and EDF Quantum on it and also has what might be a customer reference number on it. It's 13 digits with CR before it. The last EDF advisor I spoke to said that this wasn't proof of them supplying the gas though.

Admittedly I've also not tried phoning the National Grid back and explaining the problems again. They were just so insistent the first time that the supply wasn't registered, and I just needed to contact any supplier to register it that I was a bit put off trying them again so I focused on trying to get a supplier to (but that's just gone round in the "it's registered to the wrong address and is with x supplier" arguments). I will definitely try again tomorrow.

Thanks again for all the advice and ideas. Much appreciated and I guess I'll just keep at it until it's resolved. Really hope it doesn't take 15 years though!

Joyful

It sounds as if EDF are receiving all your payments. EDF can look at Quantum on line and see which meter the pyts are going into and then what address they have for it.