Electric supplier issues

RIckyC

Hi, I'm in a strange situation.

I moved flat 5 months ago and switched to Bulb straight off. After 4 months they emailed me saying they may have the electric serial number incorrect as someone else in the flat raised that complaint to them (it is a relatively new build). They refunded me the money I paid them, and then tried to switch me again this week, but the past supplier (whoever that is) denied the move. I'm guessing this is due to an outstanding bill. So my job is to try and find who the past supplier is.

My question is, if the old/technically current supplier has debt that needs to be paid, am I liable for this? I didn't sign any contract with them, but I have been using electric from them unknowingly as I thought I had switched perfectly find to Buld.

Thanks

ShatteredDad

Hi

You will be liable for any consumption from the date you became responsible for the property. You didn't sign any contract but you don't have to. When yiu move in you are with the existing supplier by default until you officially switch to a different supplier, this always takes a few weeks anyway so there is always something to pay with the initial supplier. I appreciate you arranged to be supplied by a different company but they've made a hash of it unfortunately. New builds can sometimes be a pain initially as the addresses don't always get updated from plot to postal on the national database and also meters get allocated incorrectly, leading to the problems you are experiencing.

What you need to do first of all is locate your meter and make a note of the serial number. Be sure it is your meter, don't just go off a label. To do this, you need to look at the meter when you have very little electricity running, then turn as many appliances as possible on and have a look at the meter again, you should notice the meter recording consumption faster due to the increased usage. If your meter is actually inside your flat then you don't need to do this test, only if the meters are in a communal area.

Once you have your serial number, telephone a supplier of your choice to arrange an account, they will be able to use your serial number to identify your supply point and initiate the transfer. They will be able to tell you who the existing supplier is as this information is available on the national database that they will be using to gather all of the necessary details for your switch.

Then finally just contact the current supplier and open an account from the date you moved in and ask to be placed on a tariff with no exit fees. Once the transfer of supply occurs you should receive a bill from the date you moved up to the date your supply transfers correctly.

I hope this helps (13 years in energy industry)

clochi

RIckyC wrote: »

Hi, I'm in a strange situation.

I moved flat 5 months ago and switched to Bulb straight off. After 4 months they emailed me saying they may have the electric serial number incorrect as someone else in the flat raised that complaint to them (it is a relatively new build). They refunded me the money I paid them, and then tried to switch me again this week, but the past supplier (whoever that is) denied the move. I'm guessing this is due to an outstanding bill. So my job is to try and find who the past supplier is.

My question is, if the old/technically current supplier has debt that needs to be paid, am I liable for this? I didn't sign any contract with them, but I have been using electric from them unknowingly as I thought I had switched perfectly find to Buld.

Thanks

It's an interesting question you pose.

I'm in exactly the same situation...only different.

I appear to have been switched to a different supplier that I never requested or even agreed to, let alone signed a contrcat with. They seem to be attempting to charge me at their expensive variable rate tariff.

How long do you think one should be permitted to continue to use this electricity as and when required without actually being liable to pay for it? Do you think I could get away with it for the next 12 months and then invoke the 12 month back billing rule?

clochi

RIckyC wrote: »

Hi, I'm in a strange situation.

I moved flat 5 months ago and switched to Bulb straight off. After 4 months they emailed me saying they may have the electric serial number incorrect as someone else in the flat raised that complaint to them (it is a relatively new build). They refunded me the money I paid them, and then tried to switch me again this week, but the past supplier (whoever that is) denied the move. I'm guessing this is due to an outstanding bill. So my job is to try and find who the past supplier is.

My question is, if the old/technically current supplier has debt that needs to be paid, am I liable for this? I didn't sign any contract with them, but I have been using electric from them unknowingly as I thought I had switched perfectly find to Buld.

Thanks

Is this the flat you've since moved out of?
(I've seen your post of 17th regarding council tax there too)

If so, as long as you don't contact the supplier to the property (how can you, you don't even know who they are) then I think you've got away with it as they not only don't know who you are, but also have no idea where you now live :money:

ShatteredDad

If your supply has been taken over erroneously you need to contact your actual supplier ASAP and they will initiate the process to have your supply transferred back.

There is an actual process for this which ensures that ultimately you will have nothing to pay to the supplier that's taken over in error and you will be continuously billed by the company that is your rightful supplier.

Back billing code would not really apply in this instance as you know about the problem and will have received the relevant correspondence. People seem to get confused with back billing and think it means companies will just write off anything and everything but it doesn't work like that. Also the back billing rule means any usage over 12 months will be written off, so if you were to leave it 12 months before sorting it out there would be nothing to write off under the back billing code anyway. You'd gain nothing other than a hefty invoice for 12 months worth of consumption.

clochi

ShatteredDad wrote: »

If your supply has been taken over erroneously you need to contact your actual supplier ASAP and they will initiate the process to have your supply transferred back.

There is an actual process for this which ensures that ultimately you will have nothing to pay to the supplier that's taken over in error and you will be continuously billed by the company that is your rightful supplier.

Back billing code would not really apply in this instance as you know about the problem and will have received the relevant correspondence. People seem to get confused with back billing and think it means companies will just write off anything and everything but it doesn't work like that. Also the back billing rule means any usage over 12 months will be written off, so if you were to leave it 12 months before sorting it out there would be nothing to write off under the back billing code anyway. You'd gain nothing other than a hefty invoice for 12 months worth of consumption.

Thanks for confirming I won't need to pay the new supplier anything. :T

The thing is I'm not sure the old supplier is in a position to bill me any more
They stopped billing me from the end of July. I've not been able to contact them since, either.

I think you miss the point over back billing. What I was suggesting is that if I get away with not being billed for LONGER than 12 months, then the supplier could only bill me for the most recent 12 months anyway.

ShatteredDad

clochi wrote: »

Thanks for confirming I won't need to pay the new supplier anything. :T

The thing is I'm not sure the old supplier is in a position to bill me any more
They stopped billing me from the end of July. I've not been able to contact them since, either.

I think you miss the point over back billing. What I was suggesting is that if I get away with not being billed for LONGER than 12 months, then the supplier could only bill me for the most recent 12 months anyway.

Well yes if you were to leave it say 15 months you could potentially have 3 months written off under back billing. However, it is probably nowhere near worth doing if you are on some inflated variable tariff. Also, you would be playing a dangerous game as the company would want to know why it wold have taken you so long to contact them to sort it out.

Not quite sure what you mean when you're talking about you supplier not being in a position to bill you? Sounds like a bit of a mess to be honest and one I'd be inclined to sort out asap rather than allow it the chance to bite you in the rear.

RIckyC

ShatteredDad wrote: »

Hi

You will be liable for any consumption from the date you became responsible for the property. You didn't sign any contract but you don't have to. When yiu move in you are with the existing supplier by default until you officially switch to a different supplier, this always takes a few weeks anyway so there is always something to pay with the initial supplier. I appreciate you arranged to be supplied by a different company but they've made a hash of it unfortunately. New builds can sometimes be a pain initially as the addresses don't always get updated from plot to postal on the national database and also meters get allocated incorrectly, leading to the problems you are experiencing.

What you need to do first of all is locate your meter and make a note of the serial number. Be sure it is your meter, don't just go off a label. To do this, you need to look at the meter when you have very little electricity running, then turn as many appliances as possible on and have a look at the meter again, you should notice the meter recording consumption faster due to the increased usage. If your meter is actually inside your flat then you don't need to do this test, only if the meters are in a communal area.

Once you have your serial number, telephone a supplier of your choice to arrange an account, they will be able to use your serial number to identify your supply point and initiate the transfer. They will be able to tell you who the existing supplier is as this information is available on the national database that they will be using to gather all of the necessary details for your switch.

Then finally just contact the current supplier and open an account from the date you moved in and ask to be placed on a tariff with no exit fees. Once the transfer of supply occurs you should receive a bill from the date you moved up to the date your supply transfers correctly.

I hope this helps (13 years in energy industry)

Ah that's irritating but thanks! I don't have access to my meter so making sure I have the correct meter and no one else is using the incorrect details is difficult. I know the right number to use now.

Is there an easy way to find out who's supplying my electric?

Mister_G

RIckyC wrote: »

Is there an easy way to find out who's supplying my electric?

Yes, contact your DNO

http://www.energynetworks.org/info/faqs/who-is-my-network-operator.html

RIckyC

Mister_G wrote: »

Yes, contact your DNO

It took far too long on the phone but i found it in the end :j The company ended up being quite a bit more expensive.

wavelets

More Bulb Energy Spam by a brand new MSE user?

Can't understand it really.
I mean they are upping their prices and their Ponzi scheme is about to come crashing down as they always do due to huge numbers now apparently involved.

What could possibly be going wrong with this supplier? :cool:


See also my comments in this thread
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5897269/bg-unlimited-tarrif