Back dated energy bill from 2017 - do we have to pay?

Redbike

We have just received a bill from EDF for electricity used in Nov 2017. We changed our energy supplier in December 2017 from EDF, and we paid a final bill to EDF of £74.

We have been told this week that we still owe EDF  £244 as they only sent a final bill for the Gas and not the Electricity.
As this was over three and half years ago and we are no longer with the same supplier do we have to pay this?

Reed_Richards

If this is out of the blue then you don't have to pay because the electricity was used over a year ago.  EDF should know this, just refer them to the rules on backbilling. If it turns out they have been chasing you and you have been ignoring their communications then the backbilling rule would not apply.

matelodave

have a look here for the backing rules - https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/who-contact-if-its-difficult-paying-energy-bills/energy-back-billing-guide-your-rights

Cardew

This is strange because even with the incompetance of energy companies accounting systems, they know the law on backbilling.

Your phrasing 'We have just received a bill from EDF for electricity used in Nov 2017. We changed our energy supplier in December 2017 from EDF,'  is ambiguous.

If you had received a bill for electricity used in Nov 2017 before or shortly after you changed supplier, then that bill is valid.

Backbilling applies only if EDF hadn't raised a bill for the period to Nov 2017.

Incidentally it is not a defence to say we didn't receive a bill, as an energy company simply need to prove from their records a bill was sent.

Reed_Richards

Cardew said:

This is strange because even with the incompetance of energy companies accounting systems, they know the law on backbilling.

Your phrasing 'We have just received a bill from EDF for electricity used in Nov 2017. We changed our energy supplier in December 2017 from EDF,'  is ambiguous.

If you had received a bill for electricity used in Nov 2017 before or shortly after you changed supplier, then that bill is valid.

Backbilling applies only if EDF hadn't raised a bill for the period to Nov 2017.

Incidentally it is not a defence to say we didn't receive a bill, as an energy company simply need to prove from their records a bill was sent.

You have me confused now @Cardew .  Your saying that if the OP received a bill in 2017 that they didn't pay then that bill is still valid.  And if the energy company (EDF) sent a bill in 2017 that got lost in the post then that bill is still valid if EDF can provide a proof of posting or equivalent.  But if EDF forgot to bill them for the period between their final electricity bill in 2017 and when the changed supplier in Dec 2017 then surely such a bill, sent now, is not valid.

Cardew

My point was that I wondered why the OP stated a bill for electricity used in November 2017 and they changed supplier in December.

Why would the OP not say 'we changed supplier in December 2017 and have just received a final electricity bill for £244'

If a bill had not been raised - until now - for the electricity used up to November 2017, then clearly it is not valid.

However if a bill had been raised for electricity November 2017(at the time or shortly afterwards) then that bill is still valid.

It has long been established that an energy company have only to prove that a bill was raised and sent for the bill to be valid.

A final gas bill of 'only' £74 would not seem unreasonable for a period Nov to Dec. So was a gas bill raised and paid in Nov 2017?