EDF and British Gas - Wrong Meter/Incorrect Bill

konn1ch1ha

Hi all,
I received, what appears to be, a bogus/phishing email from 'British Gas' about an unpaid bill. This email remind me of an issue myself and two housemates had three years ago. 

The issue involved me having an account with EDF Energy and the three of us paying for the energy monthly without any problems. However, one day we received a letter from British Gas to The Occupier for a bill for nearly £1000. We immediately contacted EDF and it was discovered EDF was receiving money for our energy but had gotten the gas meter number wrong, thus being actually supplied by British Gas. Based on the rate differences, EDF offered a refund of what we had already paid to throughout our contract to then pay British Gas. As we believed EDF should be fully responsible for the bill, we did not accept and took it to Ombudsman but did not follow it through. Since 2017, we all live separately at different addresses.

The case, I believe, remains open. I have contacted my housemates and they have said if we have not received anything threatening I should just forget it. What should I do? What would happen to the bill? Should I reopen the case with Ombudsman? 

Thanks in advance.

Essmum

You will need to contact EDF and BG..the Ombudsman will have closed the case once they didnt hear back from you.
Are you the only one responsible for the bill? Did you receive a refund from EDF? 
Have you paid BG anything for the energy you and your flatmates consumed? 

konn1ch1ha

No, I am not the only one responsible for the bill, it was three of us and neither in our name. We were paying EDF on a monthly basis and they admittedly made the mistake of getting the MPR incorrect, causing the issue.    
No, we did not agree and receive a refund from EDF.
And no, we did not pay anything to BG as we were paying EDF.

Essmum

So you need to contact both EDF and BG and explain the situation. Who's name was the energy account in? 
I wouldnt advise leaving it as energy companies are quite happy to use DCA to chase these up.
The amount owing may not be too bad once EDF have refunded you the payments you made to them than you can work out a payment plan with BG for what's owing. 
As the original mistake was not your error they may be willing to knock some off the bill.

konn1ch1ha

There was no account with BG so 'The Occupier' was named. EDF was in my name and finally my housemate's. That account is now closed and has been for nearly three years. I still don't believe it is fair for us to be responsible for the bill as it was fully EDF's mistake and we were paying EDF for our contract to be supplied to our address. 
Can they be used if it's not in anyone's name? Not sure if DCA have been involved as I actually live across the road...
Above, all I would like peace of mind on this issue.

MWT

Was the propery a rental? ... and who had their names on the tenancy agreement?

konn1ch1ha

Yes, a rental. And all three of us. 

MWT

So if it ever came to it there is a solid paper-trail for the 3 of you being jointly responsible.

... but how exactly did this get into such an odd position in the first place?

Why was the account set-up with EDF and who determined that EDF were the provider at the time?

konn1ch1ha

We moved in. Carried over our current supplier at the time (EDF) from previous address, they took over as the suppliers of the  new property (we have it in email) about a week or two in. From then, we paid them as our energy supplier. 

The problem is that EDF had our incorrect MPR for our contact and the energy was coming from BG, but we were paying EDF.

MWT

konn1ch1ha said:

We moved in. Carried over our current supplier at the time (EDF) from previous address, they took over as the suppliers of the  new property (we have it in email) about a week or two in. From then, we paid them as our energy supplier. 

The problem is that EDF had our incorrect MPR for our contact and the energy was coming from BG, but we were paying EDF.

Sounds like you didn't follow the correct process there, you should have contacted the existing supplier at the new address (presumably British Gas) when you moved in and given them the opening reading, then commenced the switch to EDF.

You would have paid BG for the first week or two then continued with EDF.

konn1ch1ha

I've just seen in a corresponding email that a contract was agreed to be taken over just before move in date. The DD was then started two weeks after. In my experience, the supplier informs the current supplier and, at least, informs us who the supplier is of that address. We had no idea the current supplier was BG.

Above all, I'm at a crossroads. I have emails from EDF admitting it's their fault entirely about the MPR.