Utility Point - Barrett Smith & Brown

mini2022

Hi All 
I've seen a couple of posts about Utility Point already, was wondering for a bit more help/advise plz. 

I received my final bill with Utility Point of £452.65. I immediately disputed this and resent my final meter readings to Utility Point in August 2021. I was assured by Utility Point they'd get back to me to recalculate my final bill with what I owed or didn't owe. As you know they then went into administration issues and never heard anything back from them until recently when I received an email from Barrett Smith & Brown around 28.06.22 saying I needed to pay the outstanding amount of £452.65. I have contacted Barrett Smith & Brown who have offered me a 40% reduction in this which makes it go down £271.59. However I really begrudge paying this as I know my final bill would be more or less zero or next to nothing. They said they cannot contact Utility Point as they are collections only and do not have access to see final meter readings etc. 

I have responded to BS&B with a "prove it" email. Is there anything else I can do, as they have threatened to send collections to my property which is tenanted. 

Many Thanks 

FreeBear

mini2022 said: I have responded to BS&B with a "prove it" email. Is there anything else I can do, as they have threatened to send collections to my property which is tenanted.

They can send who ever they like to knock on your door. Without a court order, and a certified bailiff in tow, they have zero rights. They can not enter the property, they can not demand payment, and the certainly can not remove goods. Feel free to tell them where to go and shut the door in their face(s).

Keep everything in writing, and don't phone them. Sending letters costs time & money, but you have done the right thing by sending a "prove it" letter. And with BSB, I would be doubly careful - They (apparently) had a data breach and a number of customers of failed energy companies have been contacted by scammers posing as "legitimate" debt collectors. https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6322778/solarplicity-debt-collection-scam lists a few of the energy companies in question. On that basis, I'd be demanding a higher level of proof from BSB beyond just a single line in a spreadsheet.

pochase

What is the starting meter reading with your new supplier? Is it  the same as used by UP?

You are aware that the readings used by both suppliers only need to be the same, but that substantial differences to your meter readings are allowed otherwise?

If you are 100% sure you really don't anything just let them come to you, but really use the meter readings to calculate first if there is debt or not. The offer you have received might be not bad depending on the outcome of the calculations.

mini2022

So the first recording of meter readings with new supplier (BG) was 5429 which was in September 2021. I resent meter reading of 4072 on August 2021 and never heard anything back from UP as from then on in they were in administration. 

molerat

mini2022 said:

So the first recording of meter readings with new supplier (BG) was 5429 which was in September 2021. I resent meter reading of 4072 on August 2021 and never heard anything back from UP as from then on in they were in administration. 

Still not really answered the question

What was the opening reading used by BG ?

BG should have sent UP a meter read and both should use that.

If you have not paid for the use between 4072 and 5429 you owe that to someone.  If BG used 5429 or somewhere close you either dispute it with BG and pay them the difference or pay UP/ their administrators.