Gas Issues in New Build

Jay_A

Hi guys,

I moved into a new build property a year ago - and immediately made efforts to switch from the builders chosen supplier, who would have me on a standard rate tariff which costs fortunes, to a cheaper deal I found online.

There was a whole host of issues trying to change, all revolving around the fact MPAN, serial numbers and addresses did not match up - the housebuilder had submitted information wrongly to the national grid or whoever it goes to.

It took me around a month or two of numerous emails and phone calls, taking up much of my personal and work time, to sort it out. I was told under no uncertain terms by both suppliers that it had all been rectified and I was now all set up with my correct gas meter details and that the switch could go ahead.

Fast forward one year, I queried unusual activity on my online account - and I got a response that there has been some form of mistake and they hadn’t been supplying my gas for the last year as they thought I had been, and repaid the monies I paid them.

They then tried to re-request a switch and it was blocked. I phoned the original supplier and they essentially had no record of me, and explained that all the details on my house and meter were still all wrong and didn’t match up.

I’ve spoke with numerous neighbours and it seems almost the entire estate have got the same issues. Everyone has each other’s meters and it is one large mess.

No company seems to be taking responsibility for the issue and trying to rectify it. The onus to fix it seems to be with us homeowners, but frankly there is nothing we can do - multiple of my neighbours and I have been calling and emailing, some neighbours continuously throughout the last year - and no one is fixing anything.

I’m at the point now where I literally cannot waste any more time going round and round on phone calls and emails, wasting my time and energy. This obviously wasn’t my fault or any of my neighbours, so it should not be up to us to fix this - especially considering how much effort we have so far put into fixing it.

The one thing I particularly don’t want is a huge bill from the original supplier once it is all, somehow, fixed - as realistically I shouldn’t have to be punished and pay a premium rate for something that wasn’t my fault. I will simply refuse to pay this.

The analogy I’m thinking is along the lines of, if you’ve received a car insurance renewal quote for £2,000 - and you say no, and switch to a different provider for £1,000 - and both providers say you have now switched, it would be unfair for a year later your new provider to say ‘oops, someone somewhere has made a mistake and you didn’t really switch after all’ and your old provider asking for the £2,000 renewal quote.

What should I do in this situation, where do I stand, and how can this be fixed for our estate as a whole?

I’ve spoken to both suppliers NUMEROUS times, and apparently Exoserve/National Grid has been informed about issues - yet we are still no further forward.

Help :A

AndyPK

1) They can only back bill you for a certain amount. Maybe 1 year.
2) It's upto your current supplier to get the database fixed (I know this doesn't help you)
3) If you use the EON website I believe you can match address and meter numbers up.

Cardew

I would send a recorded delivery letter to the original supplier marked 'complaint' and briefly outline the steps taken.



Then do nothing except regularly write down your meter readings! As said above, provided you have taken steps to pay bills they can only back-bill you for 1 year.(the last 12 months)

Jay_A

Is there any limit to how much they can charge me for the previous 12 months?

Essentially it’s only been 12 months by this point anyway, but my bills I had been paying totalled £430 for the year - it would be massively unfair if they then tried to charge say twice that, at £860 for the year - when I had made every attempt to rectify the issue and change to a cheaper supplier?

Would it be safe to assume that I’ve taken all reasonable steps to try and resolve the issue and if I were to stop trying now and continue on with paying no one any bills (as tbh I don’t even know who I should be paying as no one seems to have any account for me!) would this somehow come back to bite me for not trying?

System

You have my sympathy. Sadly, I am also a ‘victim’ of a new build electricity meter mis-registration. My developer gave me the MPAN and MPRN and I checked that they were correct with the two responsible bodies. The transfer went through in late July but no final billing was forthcoming. The losing supplier came up with an excuse that they couldn’t raise a Final Bill as the supplies had transferred. Sadly, my worst fears have just been realised. Last week, I got a bill - not a Final Bill - from the deemed supplier for £253. It now seems that I have a meter serial number which has two different Supply Numbers, and two suppliers who are billing me. The two suppliers are now having words and The Energy Ombudsman is looking into the lack of a Final Bill.

The real scandal here is that suppliers are taking upwards of 6 months to set up online accounts even though the meters have been registered - albeit, incorrectly - before the first purchaser moves in.

Jay_A

It’s a joke.

I’ve seen since trying to research it that it’s a fairly common issue, and the fact nearly an entire estate has fallen into the same trap is shocking.

I just don’t understand how this can be blamed on us though, surely responsibility should lie squarely on a higher authority and all charges be null and void!

System

Jay_A wrote: »

It’s a joke.

I’ve seen since trying to research it that it’s a fairly common issue, and the fact nearly an entire estate has fallen into the same trap is shocking.

I just don’t understand how this can be blamed on us though, surely responsibility should lie squarely on a higher authority and all charges be null and void!

If only that was the case. All my neighbours have ended up paying 6 months of deemed charges to the deemed supplier. I can find nothing in the Regulations to cover this situation. Have you escalated your complaint to The Energy Ombudsman?

jbuchanangb

As well as keeping accurate records of your meter readings month by month, if you are not paying anyone for your energy at the moment it would be prudent to set money aside in a savings account so that when it does get sorted out you have money available to pay for your energy. May I suggest 18p per kwh for electricity and 4.4p per kwh for gas (based on a big 6 supplier's standard rate) If you get it for less then it'll be a pleasant refund, rather than an unpleasant surprise.