Massive gas bill received for alleged energy use over a year ago - HELP!!!

ramirez10

Dear all,

I was wondering if someone can help. I have just today (on 4 Oct 19) received 2 letters in the post from a firm called Toto Energy. The first one is dated 30 Sep 2019, and is a reminder letter asking me to pay £1368.65.

The second letter is dated 16 August 2018, and appears to be a bill for £1368.65, for gas used sometime prior to May 2018.

I understand that the firm cannot back-bill me for a period over 12 months ago, but they have cleverly stated 16 Aug 2018 on the bill to make it appear as if it was sent over a year ago!

How do I prove that I only just received it?

For the record, I've been with Engie for gas since May 2018 - there were some issues with finding out who my supplier was when I moved into the property in Oct 2017, hence Engie eventually took over.

But, I'm not sure if I can be sent such a massive bill when its not my fault!

elsien

When you say it's not your fault, are you disputing that you owe it at all, or do you accept you owe the money (or at least some of it) but want to use the 12 months as a get out?

A clearer time line would help.

Ectophile

The date that's on the letter doesn't matter. It's the dates they are billing for that's important.


Have you tried contacting them to find out why they think you owe them money?

ramirez10

elsien wrote: »

When you say it's not your fault, are you disputing that you owe it at all, or do you accept you owe the money (or at least some of it) but want to use the 12 months as a get out?

A clearer time line would help.

I am disputing the full amount. When I joined Engie in May 2018, I supplied the readings as they were when I moved into the property, so they were effectively charging me for gas I used.

I'm not sure how Toto have calculated the gas bill - it looks very dodgy in any case. No company address on the bill, the envelope has an address of a printing company in Hastings (with C/O Toto Energy).

I will of course dispute the bill, but I want to take the most pain-free approach rather than eventually having to plead to a county court judge. So, can I use the 12 month rule in this case? It would be difficult because they have cleverly backdated the bill to August 2018, so they can bypass the 12 month rule.

Timeline as follows:
Oct 2017 - I move into property
May 2018 - Engie take over supply
Oct 2018 - first Engie bill
4 Oct 2019 - I receive a bill from Toto energy dated 16 Aug 2018. Addressed to "the occupier"
4 Oct 2019 - I receive a reminder letter from Toto energy dated 30 Sep 2019, asking me to pay the full amount. Addressed to "the occupier"

elsien

So between October 17 and May 18 you weren't paying anyone?
Or did you give Engie the readings from October 17 and they backdated the bill?
Do you have a reading from May 18 when Engie took over?

ramirez10

Ectophile wrote: »

The date that's on the letter doesn't matter. It's the dates they are billing for that's important.


Have you tried contacting them to find out why they think you owe them money?

If the dates they are billing for matter, that's good to know. But won't they claim that they sent the bill in August 2018, and have been trying to recover the money since, and the letter dated Sep 2019 was an attempt to recover?

I have tried contacting them today, but they are closed. Will try again tomorrow. My hunch is they will of course claim that I owe them the money - why wouldn't they

ramirez10

elsien wrote: »

So between October 17 and May 18 you weren't paying anyone?

Correct

elsien wrote: »

Or did you give Engie the readings from October 17 and they backdated the bill?

I gave Engie readings from Oct 17, but they didn't backdate the bill. Just sent me a bill with start date of when they took over, but with Oct 17 readings.

elsien wrote: »

Do you have a reading from May 18 when Engie took over?

Possibly, will have to check. But this will get really messy quite quickly!

elsien

ramirez10 wrote: »

Correct


I gave Engie readings from Oct 17, but they didn't backdate the bill. Just sent me a bill with start date of when they took over, but with Oct 17 readings.


Possibly, will have to check. But this will get really messy quite quickly!

If they've used the October 17 readings to calculate what you owe, then would the dispute not be between the two gas companies, if you can evidence somehow that those were the figures when you moved in?
Either way, you need to see a proper bill from Toto before you go much further. They do have to evidence exactly what they're trying to bill you for, and how they reached that figure.

ramirez10

elsien wrote: »

If they've used the October 17 readings to calculate what you owe, then would the dispute not be between the two gas companies, if you can evidence somehow that those were the figures when you moved in?

Hmmm, I keep an excel spreadsheet of readings to track usage, but not sure this will stand up as evidence of the readings! I think Engie just started billing me from May 2018, with the start meter read as of that date (even though it was backdated).

Flt._Lt._Biggles

ramirez10 wrote: »

Dear all,

I was wondering if someone can help. I have just today (on 4 Oct 19) received 2 letters in the post from a firm called Toto Energy. The first one is dated 30 Sep 2019, and is a reminder letter asking me to pay £1368.65.

The second letter is dated 16 August 2018, and appears to be a bill for £1368.65, for gas used sometime prior to May 2018.

I understand that the firm cannot back-bill me for a period over 12 months ago, but they have cleverly stated 16 Aug 2018 on the bill to make it appear as if it was sent over a year ago!

How do I prove that I only just received it?

For the record, I've been with Engie for gas since May 2018 - there were some issues with finding out who my supplier was when I moved into the property in Oct 2017, hence Engie eventually took over.

But, I'm not sure if I can be sent such a massive bill when its not my fault!

ramirez10 wrote: »

Hmmm, I keep an excel spreadsheet of readings to track usage, ...

You might want to update that spreadsheet to carry out some calculations to assist you, such as what you owe suppliers and when, as opposed to just using it to record a list of numbers/meter readings

Then you can check your statements/bills against it as you receive them.

mac.d

Sounds like maybe you've found out what can go wrong when you move into a flat don't and register with the existing supplier (Toto) and instead choose your own supplier (Engie)?