Energy Broker Fraud

DavidClarke

Hello,
We are a small business who has just received a notification from our Energy Provider, British Gas that we have decided to renew our energy contract with them through Killawats Limited.  We have never agreed to this and have no idea who this company is.

We contacted British Gas - they explained that there is nothing they can do as contracts have been agreed with the broker and suggested we contact them directly on the number provided.

Tried calling, phone disconnected.  A further search suggests that company was dissolved 02/12/2021.

What recourse do we have with British Gas regarding this.  They swapped our contract, on the say so of a company that no longer exists, with out our permission and now refusing to acknowledge there mistake?

Any help would be appreciated.

[Deleted User]

Do you have a cooling off period in which you can withdraw?

DavidClarke

Apparently not with business contracts, according to British Gas anyway.

QrizB

DavidClarke said:

We contacted British Gas - they explained that there is nothing they can do as contracts have been agreed with the broker and suggested we contact them directly on the number provided.

There's something very wrong in that statement. If you have a contract with BG to supply energy, BG will have a copy of it and will be able to provide it to you.

Jonboy_1984

A broker will normally have asked you for a letter of authority (on your company letterhead) to act on your behalf to pass to suppliers before getting quotes in. Might be worth asking BG to supply a copy of this.

Have you previously dealt with any other energy broker who may have changed name through a merger or acquisition - if so did they have limited authority or ongoing?

DavidClarke

We have never dealt with any other energy broker, always dealt with utilities directly.  No letter of authority has ever been seen or signed.

Having a read up on this, with business contracts a verbal telephone conversation can act as authority - although we have never had any such conversation with anybody.

We have now contacted BG to supply either the letter of authority, a signed contract or transcript of telephone conversation.

I'm guessing if they are not able to supply us with this then the contract will not stand.

MagsEleven

Hi David. I work for a Charity we are continually telephoned by energy brokers who say they are from British Gas. We had the same problem British Gas changed us to a contract with another company without our knowledge. British Gas told us we had agreed to the change on the phone. When we asked for evidence they sent us a voicemail file of a conversation with my colleague. We believe this conversation was edited from several conversations. We have no recourse. I would be interested to know how you resolved your case.
Maggie