MSE News: People's Energy and Utility Point the latest energy suppliers to cease trading

esmerelda98

I wonder if anyone can help me. Utility Point are trying to back-bill me after not sending any bills for more than a year, despite having meter readings. I understand that administrators are not bound by Ofgem back-billing rules. Does it make any difference that Utility Point were not in administration when they back-billed me, or can the administrator come after me anyway? Thanks.

ichigo21

spot1034 said:

ichigo21 said:

I was with Utility Point and I have a balance in credit. They ceased trading 14/9 but I didn't realise until 15/9 - so that's when I checked my bank account. I was really surprised to see they took the monthly direct debit that day - 15/9 -- that's after they ceased trading. Can they do that ? I've cancelled the DD now.

But then - when the UP website came back up - I got my statement for September dated 16/9. Normally the monthly direct debit is on there and the balance calculated accordingly, but the 16/9 statement, which presumably is the one that will get sent over to EDF, is missing the direct debit taken on 15/9. Although the actual credit balance I know is protected, I'm afraid if that only works for the balance on the statement (rather than the correct balance - 1 payment more in credit than they show).  Am I ever going to get that payment back ?  And how ?

Also was I really unlucky my direct debit was so close to the date they ceased trading, or did Utility Point set it up to charge everyone the day after they went out of business?  Even if they did that surely, surely it should be explicitly on the account and the relevant statement - not  mysteriously hidden.

I'm really worried that latest payment looks like it slipped out of my bank account without showing up anywhere on my account.

DDs have to be requested three days in advance, so that explains the payment being taken in the first place. In my experience (not with this supplier) payments to energy companies can take a few days to be credited to your account, so this might be the perfectly simple and innocent explanation. What makes you think a statement from one random day, rather than a final statement of your account when all payments have been processed, is the one which will ultimately be sent to the SOLR?

So, at the time of posting, I wasn't aware they'd still be functioning and capable of issuing a final bill after they ceased trading. On the other hand Utility Point have emailed me and I assume others asking for final meter readings - so I no longer think the last bill before they ceased trading is going to be the final one going to the new supplier. Logically it will be that promised final one coming.

This still doesn't explain why the regular monthly DD payment falling within the period of the regular September bill is missing from the transactions and balance on that bill - especially when similar monthly payments always previously showed on the corresponding bill. Assuming I see a final bill as promised, I hope that will cover the missing transaction (payment) despite the transaction date will be prior to the final bill period. Let's see.