Charged £1000 catchup bill from energy provider after they have gone into administration, options?

[Deleted User]

Charged £1000 catchup bill from energy provider after they have gone into administration, what are my options?

I was with them for 2 years, my bill was low but they was the cheapest by rates so I was happy.

They installed a smart meter and took my initial readings, told me the smart meter would allow them to pull ‘to the minute’ meter readings for accurate billings.

1 year later they reduce my bill to £50, bonus! We had been cutting back on usage of lights, dryer and central heating so this fell in line with our usage.

4 months ago I noticed my direct debit had not been coming out for 2 months so I called to see what was going on, on the line it said they had gone into administration and a different company had take over and to contact them.

I contact them, find I had been with them for 2 months and they had no attempted to contact me I was paying extortionate prices with them so immediately switched but still had to pay the £275 for 3 months (mandatory 30 day leaving notice apparently).

I am chasing for 4 months for my final bill from the company that went into administration thinking I would have credit with them that could help pay my £275 bill. They finally get in touch and have charged me over £885 for 2 months of gas.

After another month of chasing a solution and reason and asking for recalculation I finally get the response that they had been undercharging me, only charging me between £5 - £20 per month for gas. Even though their smart meter upon installation was said to pull live and ‘Accurate’ readings.

I now have a £1000 energy bill and no money to pay it. Us there anything I can do to fix this as I feel like I am being swindled. I have had many energy providers at a number of properties and never had any issue anywhere near this magnitude.

Edit:

Added typical month usage of winter period of December to give a view of the difference in price between the tariff I signed up to contractually and the tariff changed to without knowing until over 2 and a half months later.

My rates on the final bill of my old energy provider are:

Gas standing charge per day 25.294p (30 days = !£7.588)
Gas unit rate per kWh 3.269p (usage of 1,405‬‬kWh = £45.92945‬‬)
VAT @ 5% = £2.675
Gas bill should be £56.19

Electric standing charge per day 21.564p (30 days = £6.4692‬)
Electric unit rate per kWh 15.424p (usage of 234kWh = £36.09216‬‬)
VAT @ 5% = £2.128
Electric bill should be £44.68

Total bill should be £100.87‬‬ (High usage in the height of winter)

The rates on the bill of the provider I was automatically switched to (Without notice) are:

Gas first 62 kWh @ 16.108p = £9.987
Gas for kWh after this @ 3.524p (usage of 1,405kWh - 62kWh, 1,343kWh = £47.32732‬)
VAT @ 5% = £2.867
Gas bill would be £60.18

Electric first 62 kWh @ 28.778p = £17.84236‬
Electric for kWh after this @ 18.155p (usage of 234kWh - 62kWh, 172kWh = £31.2266‬‬)
VAT @ 5% = £2.453
Electric bill would be £51.52

Total bill should be £111.7‬0 (High usage in the height of winter)

Total difference between bills for the same usage would be £10.83‬
For the 3 month period billed this would be £32.49

So not extortionate but definitely more expensive, considering I was with them for over 2 months before even knowing.

Streaky_Bacon

Are you able to provide a list of all bills that you have received with the bill date, the opening and closing meter reads, and the bill amount?

It may be that you can avoid some of this amount, but it may depend upon the specifics of what was billed and when.

[Deleted User]

Hi, thanks for the response.

I cannot access my bills, I have never been sent any they must have been available only in their online portal which is now offline due to business closing.

I have requested them via email but I was apparently suppose to pay this bill last week, they have said they will hold it until the end of the month but will have to pay then but I don't have a spare £1,000 lay around to cough up.

Also, I have added the difference in tariffs to my OP as I heard they are not supposed to change the tariff if changed without me knowing.

Biscuit_Tin

Perhaps ask the board guide to move this to the debt free wannabe board, if you accept you owe the money but are unable to pay?.

In such a situation, you will probably receive a better response there

[Deleted User]

I don’t know whether I do accept yet until I see the individual bills and usage.

Why should I have to pay for energy that the company didn’t charge me for? Shouldn’t it be their responsibility to make sure my direct debits cover the usage and the usage is accurate as they have a live meter reading at theirs hands?

If they choose to use estimates should it not be down to them to check the estimates are correct or at least update with a meter reading request per quarter etc?

I just don’t understand how a company can get away with it and I am left with a bill I can’t pay that I have no proof of.

Streaky_Bacon

LunInf wrote: »

I cannot access my bills, I have never been sent any they must have been available only in their online portal which is now offline due to business closing.

I have requested them via email but I was apparently suppose to pay this bill last week, they have said they will hold it until the end of the month but will have to pay then but I don't have a spare £1,000 lay around to cough up.

As I'm sure you realise, you shouldn't pay anything until they can provide the bills.

Presumably you are communicating with the administrator for the defunct company.

You should write a letter marked formal complaint (get a certificate of posting), tell them that they are chasing you for payment but have not sent you the bills you have requested. Demand that they send you

1) A copy of all bills issued against the account
2) A proper calculation of the debt they claim
3 )Any further evidence they have to support their claim

and demand that they cease any collection activities until they have done so.

You can also send a Subject Access Request, which should cover any data that the original supplier held, and which the administrator now controls.

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-do-i-make-a-subject-access-request

[Deleted User]

Thank you, I’ll do this first thing tomorrow.

I have contacted them via email but will do this via post for official record.

FreeBear

LunInf wrote: »

I contact them, find I had been with them for 2 months and they had no attempted to contact me I was paying extortionate prices with them so immediately switched

Had a similar problem with Toto when they took over a load of Solarplicity customers last summer. But in my case, I did at least get an email advising of the new supplier along with an undertaking that my tariff would remain the same.... The first "bill" from Toto showed a hike in rates & standing charge along with a bunch of other errors. Pointed out that they were renegading on their promise that rates would remain the same. Got the excuse that Solarplicity had switched me to a different tariff.... After beating Toto around the head with OFGEM's Service Licence Conditions (section 31I for tariff & contract changes) and pointing out that I had never received the legally required notice, the tariff was reverted.

Toto didn't manage to provide an accurate bill before they too went bust, so I'm now waiting to see if the administrators or EDF chase, and what sort of pig's ear they will make of it.

In your situation, I would certainly be quoting SLC31I at who ever is sending you demands. Also put them to strict proof of energy consumption (check the conversion calcs for gas) before agreeing to any payment plan.

If you care to name the suppliers in question, we may be able to compare notes more fully.