Estimated energy bills

ask1ngthequest10n

Hello everyone
My dad died in March this year.  His energy bills were in my mother's name (who died over 20 years ago).  The bills have been estimated for many years, usually between £30 - £60 a quarter for gas.  Now I have given them the real meter reading, they want nearly £1,500. And this was after me talking to them on the phone for hours and them agreeing to resend an amended bill from which they deducted £20!....What responsibility do they have to ensure meters are read so people don't get into this mess.  What rights, if any, do I have?  I have asked them to disconnect the meters so I don't have to pay the daily standing charge but they have refused. Help! Thank you.

ariarnia

i'm sorry to hear about your loss and hope you are doing okay having to deal with everything. are you now living in the house or is it empty while probate is sorted/its sold? 

the 'good' news is that i think you dont owe the money if you havent moved in and taken over the supply. your dad's estate does. so if there isnt the money in the estate to pay the bill once all the other bills are paid then you dont have to find it yourself. theres a section of the board i'll go and get a link to now where they know all about probate and bills so can help you if you need some advice on that side of things. https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/deaths-funerals-probate

one important question is do you know what time the £1500 covers. that could be a years worth of electric for some people. especially if they have old freezers or electric heaters or things like that. so if you can give us some of the details that the energy company are giving you then we might be able to help more.   

the energy company do have a responsiblity to have an accurate meter reading at least once a year. normally with old electric readings they could only go back 12 months (called back billing). but if your dad was giving them readings (maybe wrong readings) or if they sent out a meter reader and your dad didn't let them in then that can change things (no idea if that's what happened). 

for what its worth i agree with them that disconnecting the meters is a bad idea. it will cost you money to get them removed and more money if you want them put back later and it will mean you can't sell the house (or will really struggle) or get a morgage on it while theres no mains electric. much better to get this sorted and move forwards

jbuchanangb

The first thing to be sure about is, any money owed is not owed by you, it is owed by your late father's estate, and do not have to be paid until after Probate or Letters of Administration. Make sure you are talking to the supplier's bereavement team and they will understand. There is no need to have the meters removed. The estate is liable for the standing charges, and any energy used such as frost protection while the house is empty. Supplier should have read the meter about every two years, but no need to think about that, just start from where you are and move forward. If you are not the Executor, then ask the Executor for your father's estate deal with the situation. When you have probate, the energy is a debt against the estate. When the funds of the estate have been collected together, then the executor can settle the bills.