Energy company breaking in to my home

Leii

I came home today and the energy company, Spark, have used Marstons to pick my locks and change the energy meters.
They left letters for the previous tenant claiming she owes them money. I have been trying to change the supplier since I moved in in November.
I was told by my electric supplier that it had been done so I assumed that was ok and my gas supplier didn’t understand why the request was being rejected but that it would be sorted by the 21st of this month!
Where do I stand legally with this? I have spoken (shouted) to Spark now who are claiming it’s my fault for not opening the previous tenants letters and telling them i’d moved in.
I don’t see how they had any legal right to enter my home

molerat

Firstly, did you contact Spark and set up an account with them when you moved in ? If the answer is no then much of this is of your own doing as until you sign up to the incumbent supplier and then switch away they are the only ones entitled to supply that property. If you did not tell them and have not paid for energy how are they to know you are not the old occupier ? They would not have just broken in, they would have gone to court and got a warrant.

Leii

But why would i set up an account with them? I have accounts with my suppliers from my previous address and informed them I was moving and was getting the supply switched over. That’s all I’ve ever done when I’ve moved and it’s never been a problem.

Gerry1

Leii wrote: »

But why would i set up an account with them? I have accounts with my suppliers from my previous address and informed them I was moving and was getting the supply switched over.

That's not how it works. As soon as you switch on a light in the new property you have a contract with the existing supplier and you are on an expensive 'deemed' tariff.

Presumably the previous occupant stopped paying and didn't say they were leaving, so Spark assumed they were a defaulter.

Sadly, you've just learned the hard way.

Leii

So was the warrant issued to the address or the person? I don’t understand how they have the legal right to enter a property that doesn’t belong to the person the warrant was issued for

Gerry1

I'm afraid you'll just have to get over it. Presumably they hadn't been paid for months and they'd had no response. You were lucky they didn't remove the meter and leave you without a supply !

Just put it behind you, switch to a credit meter, set up a direct debit and remember to get it right next time you move.

Essmum

Next time you move you need to contact the supplier of your new property with your meter reads the day you move into the property..once you have done this you can then apply to switch to whoever you want..
Your energy account does not transfer from the old property to the new.

Richie-from-the-Boro

Look up "deemed contract" ref domestic energy supply.

The O/P has no contract because they never agreed to legislated deemed contract. Possibly did not read + evidential photograph the meter, ditto and drop spark like a hot brick.

O/P should swap supplier to one of their choice ASP, get an online account, self-submit 6 weekly regularised meter reads, get best tariff of choice etc.

Cornucopia

Leii wrote: »

So was the warrant issued to the address or the person?

The address.

Gerry1

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

Look up "deemed contract" ref domestic energy supply.

The O/P has no contract because they never agreed to legislated deemed contract.

According to Ofgem, "A deemed contract relationship will normally exist in circumstances where any type of customer moves in to new premises, and starts to consume gas and/or electricity, without agreeing a contract with a supplier.".

So the deemed contract did indeed start the moment the OP turned on a light.

Richie-from-the-Boro

Not many years ago we all moved property, no deemed contract, frozen leaking pipes, no idea who MPAN etc supplier was.

Deemed contract, supplier notified by householder welcome pack to new householder, if the new householder doesn't bother with final read and the new householder doesn't supply opening read problems immediately arise. If the old householder did a runner there'd be no welcome pack.

Best of luck.