Final Bill After 6 Weeks

AdamantUK

Switched energy suppliers and my losing supplier sent me a final bill with estimated readings which didn't match those I gave the new supplier.

I contacted the old supplier and told them this was wrong so they raised a dispute and have now agreed the readings with the new supplier.
The old supplier are claiming that they issued a final bill within 6 weeks and did nothing wrong as they didn't get the right information from the new supplier and so it isn't their fault that I didn't get a correct final bill until after 6 weeks, they issued a "final" bill within 6 weeks and so they don't have to pay any compensation out.

It feels like this is wrong as the "true" final bill was issued after more than 6 weeks and so they should pay up as otherwise what's to stop them, if they are running late, just issuing a final bill with made up numbers after 5 weeks and 6 days so they don't have to pay compensation as they technically would then have issued a "final" bill within 6 weeks?

Anyone know what the actual regulations are and if it's worth me pursuing?  If I'm in the right then I'm willing to pursue it (even though it will cost me more in time than the £30!) but it's obviously not worth it if they're legally (although I'd clearly say not morally) in the right!

MWT

I wouldn't bother taking this further.

There is a 3rd party company that sits between the gaining and losing suppliers, that 3rd party issues adjustments to the final readings you provide and the suppliers are obliged to use those adjusted figures.

You can appeal them if they are a significant distance form your actual figures and it sounds like that is what you have done.

Nothing in that process gives you the right to compensation as the initial final bill was issued within the allowed time.

lessonslearned

AdamantUK said:

Switched energy suppliers and my losing supplier sent me a final bill with estimated readings which didn't match those I gave the new supplier.

I contacted the old supplier and told them this was wrong so they raised a dispute and have now agreed the readings with the new supplier.
The old supplier are claiming that they issued a final bill within 6 weeks and did nothing wrong as they didn't get the right information from the new supplier and so it isn't their fault that I didn't get a correct final bill until after 6 weeks, they issued a "final" bill within 6 weeks and so they don't have to pay any compensation out.

It feels like this is wrong as the "true" final bill was issued after more than 6 weeks and so they should pay up as otherwise what's to stop them, if they are running late, just issuing a final bill with made up numbers after 5 weeks and 6 days so they don't have to pay compensation as they technically would then have issued a "final" bill within 6 weeks?

Anyone know what the actual regulations are and if it's worth me pursuing?  If I'm in the right then I'm willing to pursue it (even though it will cost me more in time than the £30!) but it's obviously not worth it if they're legally (although I'd clearly say not morally) in the right!

Your old supplier is right.
It would not be their fault if they didn't get your final readings on time from your new supplier. 
They have done their job and produced a final bill within the given time frame, estimate or not.
Your new supplier is the one you should be challenging as to why they didn't send your final meter readings on time.
You're only entitled to the £30 compensation if your final bill wasn't produced within the 6-weeks time frame.
The maximum you could do at this point is to raise the issue with your new provider and ask them to send the correct final reads to your old provider. 
A read dispute is not necessary unless the open reads you've given your new provider is incorrect. If they have your correct open reads, all they need to do is raise a request for your old supplier to accept the final reads. 

MWT

lessonslearned said:

The maximum you could do at this point is to raise the issue with your new provider and ask them to send the correct final reads to your old provider. 
A read dispute is not necessary unless the open reads you've given your new provider is incorrect. If they have your correct open reads, all they need to do is raise a request for your old supplier to accept the final reads. 

That isn't how it works though, you are ignoring the role of the 3rd party in the middle.

The gaining supplier does not communicate directly with the losing supplier and there is no right to have either gaining or losing supplier use your exact meter readings, both have to use the adjusted figure provided by the 3rd party, unless the adjustment results in a significant variation from the actual readings, in which case the adjusted figure can be appealed...