Meter reading taken by a third party for energy comp. that dont supply us, then £500 bill

Bartoni79

Hi All,
I wonder if someone has experienced something similar....I moved from my old house in February to my new one and started up new electricity and gas accounts having supplied British Gas with final reading the day we moved out and paid the bill, then the amended back dated bill a month later. We had  only been with BG for 4.5 months having been transferred to BG from our old supplier that went bust in Oct-21... Anyway...3 weeks (August -22) ago a lady turned up from Morrisons Data Services reading our gas/ elecric meter on behalf of British Gas on our new house- I asked to see ID, she gave me a flyer and showed me her ID and it seemed legit. But 5 mins later i realised that we don't use BG as our supplier in our new house! I emailed Morrisons Data services asking why they'd been sent - no reply and given the time elapsed I doubt ill get one. Yesterday out of the blue, I received an email from BG asking for £500 from unpaid bills from our old house. The email seems legit as it details our old address, act number and a BG call centre helpline. But it says that they've sent numerous correspondences to my old address. I don't believe this as I've redirected all my post AND paid the final bill THEN paid an amended final  back dated bill in April for the old address. so my question is, anyone had Morrsion Data Servcies come knocking for suppliers you dont use and how is it that BG are asking for money the 3rd time? Could the meter read at my new house have been supplied to BG and they've confused it with consumption on the old house. Ive tried called BG but they're systems seem down all the time and the line cuts.
Any advise would be appreciated.

HampshireH

Bartoni79 said:

Hi All,
I wonder if someone has experienced something similar....I moved from my old house in February to my new one and started up new electricity and gas accounts having supplied British Gas with final reading the day we moved out and paid the bill, then the amended back dated bill a month later. We had  only been with BG for 4.5 months having been transferred to BG from our old supplier that went bust in Oct-21... Anyway...3 weeks (August -22) ago a lady turned up from Morrisons Data Services reading our gas/ elecric meter on behalf of British Gas on our new house- I asked to see ID, she gave me a flyer and showed me her ID and it seemed legit. But 5 mins later i realised that we don't use BG as our supplier in our new house! I emailed Morrisons Data services asking why they'd been sent - no reply and given the time elapsed I doubt ill get one. Yesterday out of the blue, I received an email from BG asking for £500 from unpaid bills from our old house. The email seems legit as it details our old address, act number and a BG call centre helpline. But it says that they've sent numerous correspondences to my old address. I don't believe this as I've redirected all my post AND paid the final bill THEN paid an amended final  back dated bill in April for the old address. so my question is, anyone had Morrsion Data Servcies come knocking for suppliers you dont use and how is it that BG are asking for money the 3rd time? Could the meter read at my new house have been supplied to BG and they've confused it with consumption on the old house. Ive tried called BG but they're systems seem down all the time and the line cuts.
Any advise would be appreciated.

What does the new bill say the reading is? Does it match the one in your new home

Irratus_Rusticus

Bartoni79 said:

I received an email from BG asking for £500 from unpaid bills from our old house. --- Could the meter read at my new house have been supplied to BG and they've confused it with consumption on the old house. Ive tried called BG but they're systems seem down all the time and the line cuts.

Not sure even BG would confuse too addresses and different meter readings. Tend not to add up. If self would never just pay an email demand from anybody for anything. Want bill (digital or paper no odds) with my address, meter number(s), dates, meter readings, tariffs and all similar useful facts. If I have records I've already paid for same billing details after move, I'd become miffed and demand answers. Phoning seems less likely to throw daylight on this fog.

molerat

When you moved into the current house did you contact the current supplier of the property or did you just contact a supplier of your choice and set up an account ?

Have you checked the national database to see who has your accounts ?

Find My Gas Supplier

https://www.energynetworks.org/operating-the-networks/whos-my-network-operator

imeach

Morrison Data Services are completely legit.
Who is the supplier at your new house? Is it or was it BG?

BG would have sent MDS to read the meters as presumably at some point if not now, they were the supplier to that property.
I doubt they would have used the meter reads from your new house on your old house.
MDS are given information by the suppliers and it isn't always as up to date as it should be

Bartoni79

Thanks all!
@molerat : When i moved to my new house, the previous owner shut her account which was with BG. We started up a new account with another provider. I cant recall the energy provider of our new place as my wife sorted it out and is away this week. UK energy or total energy or something like that.
@Irratus_Rusticus: Ive received both a text and email (from the same email address as I have before from BG) but it doesnt have the meter reading on, just a bill. I've tried to log onto my old online account but its doesn't work as the account is closed. When I paid the backdated bill back in April-22 (the account was closed in Feb-22), the customer rep at BG said as the account is no longer active, its not possible to access it online.
Ill call tomorrow again and see if i can get through. The tone of the email suggests they've sent multiple correspondences before and they will be referring to a debt collection agency. Weird as all of my other redirected post has arrived.

pochase

You are automatically customer of the supplier that supplies the property when you move in. You need to open the account with them and once this is done you can switch away from them.

So it is not impossible that the bill is for your current property.  Can you check your bank account if you have paid the new supplier? BG could have blocked the switch as it would have been their right to do.

Are you really sure the information is for your old property? Also all bills I know have a meter reading, and usually even the meter number.

macman

Oh dear. You've done this all wrong. When you move into a property you are in a deemed account with the existing provider (in this case, BG). You can't switch to another provider (Unknown) until you first register with BG and supply an opening read. Then you can commence a switch.
Quite how this relates to your old property I don't know, but I suspect that your switch was rejected by BG and you are still supplied by them. Are you being billed by your supposed new supplier (Unknown)?

Bartoni79

Hmmm I've received a bill from the current supplier. 
I've attached the bill as sent by email (with our old address on it) . It has no reading.

pochase

That is not a bill, that is a reminder.

Bartoni79

Exactly -  I have been emailed a reminder about a bill I have no idea about with zero correspondence until Sunday.. for an account I had open for 4.5 months. I took the final meter reading in February the day i moved out, paid up, then again paid the back dated bill in April...SO im perplexed as to why this bill/ reminder has reared its head