Scottish Power switched my neighbour's gas onto my bill instead of mine

7Phil

Hi
I'm sure this has happened a number of times but I searched 10 pages back and couldn't find a recent thread.

I recently moved into a property, set up an account with Scottish Power who provided my electricity and got them to switch my gas over from a different supplier who was doing the gas. Switch completed 24/02/2021

6 weeks later I find I never received a final bill (or any bills ever) from the old supplier, I raised a complaint with the old supplier that the final bill was not issued within 6 weeks of a completed switch. The response was that they are still the supplier and have been since 1996. They confirmed my MPRN and told me to revert back to Scottish Power.

Scottish Power have a different MPRN on my bill to the one the old supplier gave. I looked on https://www.findmysupplier.energy/ and verified the MPRN and via searching my neighbours find the MPRN Scottish Power added to my bill belongs to them!!

I've raised this with Scottish Power obviously but so far the only response is the correct area will contact me back within 14 days. Further I need to supply the meter installation date (which I don't have and it's not written on the meter) because apparently SP need that to correct the database -- even though the database clearly shows what my MPRN is and what my neighbours MPRN is.

So, in the meantime I still need to pay the old supplier for the gas I've used all this time that I was paying Sottish Power instead. And it looks like it will take several weeks for this be resolved.
At the end of it I assume I will be due compensation under a failed switch category but I've read Ofgem advice and categories talk about when your supply was erroneously switched. Not really if another supply was erroneously switched to you.

Anyone have experience on how I should navigate this mess without wasting additional time?


Thanks & cheers

welshmoneylover

I have had to read it several times but I am totally confused.
you say you never had any bills? What property and period of time does this cover?

Gerry1

It sounds like you didn't register with the existing supplier(s) and send them meter readings(s) when you took possession.

That's always a formula for ongoing problems.

7Phil

I moved in on 28/01/2021.
Day 1 I registered with both suppliers, set up a DD for both suppliers, and got my electric supplier (SP) to switch gas to them.
I gave my old supplier with a start read at sign-up but didn't give them any other readings because the switch was supposed to be completed within 3 weeks and generally you only need to provide your readings to the new supplier who "will take care of the rest".

I then provided all future readings to the new supplier, expecting the old supplier to issue a first & final bill for gas which would be for move in date until switch date. Should have been straight forward.

Apart from a welcome pack from the old supplier on Day 1, I never received any other emails, bills or reading reminders. That's a little bizarre but not really what my problem is.

Carrot007

Scottish power seem to be saying the MPRN they have for you is right and the other one is wrong.

It would be most helpful to know rthe address held on the database against both MPRN's. Is there missing bits (a / b etc.) are they both the same.

If there are no address errors then you just need to ring scottish power and tell them they got the wrong MPRN.

You also need to know that the correc tmeter is on the MPRN fopr the right address, there are places people have been paying each others bills since they were built (developers are bad at reporting where meters are installed and the big ones get their own people to do it).

Gerry1

7Phil said:

got my electric supplier (SP) to switch gas to them.

It's still very hard to understand because your generic references to suppliers are ambiguous.  It would be much easier if you always referred to named companies and stated whether they supplied (or were were intended to supply) single or dual fuels.

If you are saying that you asked the incumbent supplier(s) to switch to new supplier(s), then it doesn't work that way.

7Phil

Carrot007 said:

Scottish power seem to be saying the MPRN they have for you is right and the other one is wrong.

No - they "understand my issue" but 1) it needs to go to the right team to fix. I am waiting on them coming back to me.
2) they seem to think the database needs to be corrected but according to https://www.findmysupplier.energy/ the database is correct.

Carrot007 said:

It would be most helpful to know rthe address held on the database against both MPRN's. Is there missing bits (a / b etc.) are they both the same.

I searched https://www.findmysupplier.energy/
The gas MPRN for my address is as per the old supplier's information -- correct.
My neighbour's gas MPRN matches the MPRN Scottish Power are billing me for since switch date.

There's no error on the database. They took over my neighbour's gas meter erroneously. 
I have no idea why they made the mistake but I will say it's the same street address but different flat number.

Carrot007 said:

If there are no address errors then you just need to ring scottish power and tell them they got the wrong MPRN.

Done. That is underway but looks like it will take a while for them to sort out.

In the meantime I'm going to be paying 2x DDs for gas. I'll eventually get that credit back, plus hopefully some compensation for the failed switch.

7Phil

Gerry1 said:

It's still very hard to understand because your generic references to suppliers are ambiguous.  It would be much easier if you always referred to named companies and stated whether they supplied (or were were intended to supply) single or dual fuels.

If you are saying that you asked the incumbent supplier(s) to switch to new supplier(s), then it doesn't work that way.

I was trying to keep it simple because the issue I have is 100% with Scottish Power and my old supplier isn't relevant but for what it is worth here are the facts:

I moved in on 28/01 and there are two inherited suppliers. Scottish Power (electric - single fuel) and British Gas (gas - single fuel).
I registered with BOTH suppliers for Day 1. I am therefore paying 2 monthly DDs. One to each of these two suppliers. 

When I signed on to Scottish Power on 28/01 I also asked them to switch gas to themselves and therefore after my switch date I would have one supplier dual fuel. Note: Electric never switched, always with Scottish Power.

I was waiting for British Gas to send me their final bill. It never came leading me to unearth that Scottish Power switched my neighbour's gas to my bill and I am still a British Gas customer to date.

cannugec5

Some years back I moved into a new build flat. It was 6 months later that a meter reader noticed a discrepancy with the meter numbers. We and our neighbours had each been paying the other flats bill for the entire time. Clearly none of us had been reading our meters or checking our bills or we would have noticed .
As mentioned by others, the ultimate error in our situation was that plot numbers got mistaken for flat numbers. 

Since then I’ve been paranoid about checking, both the bills and the meters.