Bill from Npower which it's incorrect

Mlruirod

Hi,

I have received a letter from the debt collection organisation Westcot regarding a outstanding balance on my gas account with Npower. However, I have never had any account with them.

The letter states that I owe 320 pounds for supply between January and June 2014. At that time I was renting a room in the address they provided in the letter, however I never had an account with Npower. I used to pay the bills to the landlady in cash.

The letter says that Nopwer could´t resolve this issue with me so they transferred to Westcot. Obviously they could´t resolve this issue because they didn´t have any of my contact details, and to be honest I´m really worried that Westcot got my my new address and phone number.
And also, I wasn´t aware of this as I never had an account with them!

I´m worried about this but I don´t think I should be paying this amount of money as I left the flat and paid what I had to pay to the landlady. Also, it wasn´t me the only person there, there were 2 more people renting other rooms.

I need advice on what to do next. Should I contact them and explain? Should I just leave it? I don´t want this to get worse but I don´t want to pay that money as it´s wrong!

Thank you.

spiro

I suggest you contact NPower asap and explain your situation.
What paperwork do you have from you rented the room? tenancy agreement? rent book.........
Did she live in the flat or was it all rented out? It possible the LL has done a bunk and the energy supplier is looking for the residents.
Do you have proof of where you lived after that?

chrisw99

What kind of rental was it, private let direct with the landlady or through an agency?

Mlruirod

Thank you very much for your replies.

I have been looking around and I can't find the contract I signed when I rented the room. After I left the flat I went back home (Spain) for two months and came back in September as I was starting a new teaching job in a different part of the UK. I had to move all my things to a different city and I think I prob misplaced the contract. It was a privet let direct with the landlady and she didn´t live in the flat. She would come every now and then to collect the money.
I have proof where I lived after that as I´m still living in the same place.

FullForce

Mlruirod wrote: »

Hi,

I have received a letter from the debt collection organisation Westcot regarding a outstanding balance on my gas account with Npower. However, I have never had any account with them.

The letter states that I owe 320 pounds for supply between January and June 2014. At that time I was renting a room in the address they provided in the letter, however I never had an account with Npower. I used to pay the bills to the landlady in cash.

The letter says that Nopwer could´t resolve this issue with me so they transferred to Westcot. Obviously they could´t resolve this issue because they didn´t have any of my contact details, and to be honest I´m really worried that Westcot got my my new address and phone number.
And also, I wasn´t aware of this as I never had an account with them!

I´m worried about this but I don´t think I should be paying this amount of money as I left the flat and paid what I had to pay to the landlady. Also, it wasn´t me the only person there, there were 2 more people renting other rooms.

I need advice on what to do next. Should I contact them and explain? Should I just leave it? I don´t want this to get worse but I don´t want to pay that money as it´s wrong!

Thank you.

You were renting only a room at an address, yet you paid the landlady there her energy bill in full (and in cash)

Right....:cool:

To clarify, the landlady herself did not actually live there, and you only paid her every "now and then"

Right...:cool:

If you were paying the landlady in full via cash for all the energy, that would explain why the other tenants of the other two rooms didn't have to pay anything.

Since this time, you are now unable to find any written evidence of a tenancy agreement (although you accept you did reside there), nor presumably are you able to contact the landlady that let you the room, nor presumably any of the other tenants who you shred the property with (all of which could presumably corroborate this story)

Right...:cool:

chrisw99

Looking at the Westcot websit it says...

"If you look at the letter received from us it will confirm who has passed your account to us under the ‘working on behalf’ section. This means that if you contact the original company they will ask you to speak to us about the outstanding balance on your account now"

So looks like you can no longer talk to NPower about this.

I would get on the phone right away to Westcot and say there must be a mistake as you have never, ever had an account with NPower. See what they say to that.

System

chrisw99 wrote: »

I would get on the phone right away to Westcot and say there must be a mistake as you have never, ever had an account with NPower. See what they say to that.

NPower may feel that the OP had established a Deemed Contract with them by moving in and using energy. What name was on the bills?

Mlruirod

Sorry, it seems i didn't explain mysef properly- I dont control english 100% yet...
I didn't pay her energy bill in full. We used to split the bill in 3 parts and pay her in cash.
She didn't come every month to bring the bills. I can't really remember how often she used to come but maybe every 3 months- that's why ti said now and then in my last comment.

I can't contact the landlady as I can't find her number but I contacted one of the other tenants who lived with me. He Is back in his country so not sure if that could help.

I could go to that flat and ask the new tenants for the lady's number though.

chrisw99

When you say she brought the bills - did you actually see the bills and work out the values yourself?

Don't suppose you can remember if it was her name on the bills? If she brought them, they were presumably being sent to where she lived, not to the actual house where the supply was.

Anyone know if this is normal - would the bills for a rented property go to a landlord at a different address?

Have you rung Westcot/Npower yet? It always surprises me how long some threads go on for when a simple 2 minute phone call at the start may sort it all out.

Mlruirod

I guess the bills were on the landlady name as she would receive the letter in her own house and bring them with her to this flat we were renting.

Mlruirod

No. I will call them when I finish work. Only had 10 minutes break and check the notifications.

Thank your for your help