First Utility bill from 2013

freccle

I have received a letter from MIL collections stating I owe £298.46 to Shell Energy, formerly known as First Utility. I think we had our energy with First Utility years ago – we have been with NPower since April 2013. Can they really claim this after all this time? What should I do?

CakeCrusader

Hi.


I've asked for your thread to be moved to another section, I hope this is OK. There's more people on the debt free section who can help.



Companies usually have 6 years to take someone to court for an unpaid debt (this is for England, it's 5 years in Scotland), but it's a little different for a utility bill as the clock starts ticking once the last bill has been sent, so this may not be statute barred if they sent it after July 2013. You could do with sending them a 'prove it' letter, they should send you a copy of the last bill so you can see the date that it was issued. There's info about the letter here; https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247/letter-when-you-know-nothing-about-about-the-debt-aka-prove-it-letter

D_M_E

Edit your picture and remove the reference bottom left as it identifies who the bill was sent to.

freccle

thank you. How can I move it?

Cardew

Did you owe money to First Utility when you transferred to Npower?


If so, have you had a bill before this £298.46 demand.


Does the £298.46 demand include the DCA's(MIL) expenses?


Have you checked your credit record?

Ectophile

There is a back billing rule, imposed by Ofgem, which means that suppliers should not bill you for anything over a year old, if the failure to bill was their mistake. that doesn't apply if you simply haven't paid an older bill, only if they forgot to bill you, or got the original bill wrong.


https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/who-contact-if-its-difficult-paying-energy-bills/energy-backbilling-guide-your-rights


Contact Shell Energy to see why they think you owe them money. If you don't get an acceptable response, raise a formal complaint.



Don't bother negotiating with debt collectors. If you think the bill is wrong, tell them it's wrong and they must refer the matter back to Shell Energy.

MONEYPENNY

I had a call from Shell Energy today trying to tell me I owed them money of £194 from back in 2011 when with F.U

I could not believe this call, I was with them back in the time of 2010-2011 but they completely messed up my billing through not accepting my meter readings, putting up my prices massively, stopping me switching away, it was a nightmare.
I ended up getting the energy ombudsman involved and was just about to take my case to the small claims court when they finally settled things by paying me some £240 consisting of credit I had built up plus compensation.

Now some clown rings me up and starts of by saying I still owed them money, when I pointed out some facts to her she went away to check.
Now she is very sorry she bothered me and would I like to raise I complaint ?

---

I TOLD HER TO POLITELY--- GO AWAY ---and put down the phone.
FIRST UTILITY WERE COWBOYS THEN AND NOW IT SEEMS SHELL ENERGY ARE NO BETTER.


AVOID THESE PEOPLE.