Default problems utilities

Stanfam15

Hi, I hope you can help, I’ve read some really good posts on here so far, hopefully you guys can give me some assistance.
So in 2014 I made an attempt to change my gas and electricity supplier, however my current supplier wouldn’t allow it due to a small debt left on the account. They wrote to me to confirm that the switch was on pause. Subsequently I stayed with them.
The provider I was switching to wrote to me and said there had been a hold up with my previous supplier for electricity. I ignored it as I was going to stay with my current provider.
I continued to pay for gas and electricity the normal way I would with no further mention of the switch from my current supplier.
I then moved house in 2016, I have bills confirming payments for gas and electricity to that point.
In December 2018 I noticed a default on my credit file from the supplier I was going to switch to, I was checking my file regularly as I was due to remortgage.
So bearing in mind I was totally in the understanding that my supply hadn’t switched, I hadn’t had anyone to check my meter (I had a pre-paid smart meter) and I had not submitted any readings to the new supplier, I was purplexed to how I could have a default.
I have written to the company to dispute this, along with evidence of when I moved out and bills with my supplier, they basically have said that they were the supplier for my gas and I need to dispute payments made to the other supplier.
Where do I stand with this? They have a fictional figure they are trying to charge me also 5 years after I supposedly joined them they add a default.
They claim that the account is still open and they are still supplying the gas to the property (I assume new owners have been getting free gas for 3 years)
They’ve made no mention of recalculating the balance up to the time I left the property and keep increasing the default amount monthly.
I have received no letters at all (obviously I didn’t make them aware I had moved house, as far as I was concerned I had no business with them)

Please help, what do you suggest?
How can I have this default removed, I need to re-mortgage.
I need to reply to them, give me some ideas of what to ask for or some legislation to make them remove it from my file.

Many thanks in advance.

Willing2Learn

Hi Stanfam15 and welcome to the forum

If it were me, I would do the following:

I would make an official written complain to the supplier, attaching copies of the supporting evidence. With the complaint, I would ask that they delete the erroneous account from their records and update your credit files by removing the default and the account from your credit files.

If, after making the written compliant, they refuse to budge, I would then escalate the complaint, in writing, to both OFGEM and the ICO.

Stanfam15

Thank you for your reply, I had requested in my initial complaint letter that they remove the default from my account, I also included the supporting evidence like you have suggested, however they completely overlooked that in their reply. They basically said, we supplied your gas, tough luck.
I was under the impression that you had to be notified that a default was impending. I don’t know how it works with utilities but I had read somewhere that they should apply for a default 3 months or up to 6 month of not receiving a payment, is this different for utility providers?
I’d probably assume that it might be slightly different for utility providers, but 4 years seems excessive.
Also if I roll over and agree to make payments so I can get this off of my file how do they calculate usage, given that I moved out 3 years ago and they never had a meter reading?

Thanks again

Willing2Learn

If you have already made the complaint, and are at deadlock, then I suggest you escalate the complaint accordingly. (To both OFGEM and the ICO).