the council has changed my energy supplier and lost my £180 credit on my prepayment meter

sammybeaumo

I am waiting to hear about succession of my mothers council tenancy, and in the meantime they have switched suppliers without telling me. I had £180 in credit on my energy and gas which has been lost because the new supply from British Gas is under Cambridge city council. I cannot get through to the council on any number? I am just on hold indefinitely. I have tried the national debt line who say I have to contact the council. I have also tried to contact CAB who just refer me back to website and disconnect me.

Jonboy_1984

Have you asked the old supplier where it went?

[Deleted User]

Hi,

why does your Council decide who your energy supplier is?

Jyana

frugalmacdugal said:

Hi,

why does your Council decide who your energy supplier is?

It looks like they are pushing a collective switch policy, but crucially the video on this page stresses that "You decide if you want to take the offer up of the switch *after* getting the quote", which doesn't appear to have happened here?

https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/climate-change-energy-and-environment/how-you-can-take-action/home-energy/cambridgeshire-energy-switch

ariarnia

if you are taking over the house and energy bill then would have had to set up an account for yourself anyway which would have closed the old account and taken the money of the meter. 

what you need to do is find out who the account was with and contact them for a refund of the balance. if you are taking over because your mother has past away (my condolences) the executor might need to send them a copy of the death cirt and the money might need to go to her estate to cover any bills. 

macman

OP, is this a case where the property is in a council-owned development that has installed a district heating system?
If not, your post makes no sense, as local authorities or LL's cannot choose an energy supplier for you.
Please give us some context here.

EssexHebridean

@macman If I am reading it right the OP lived with their mother at the property, which is a council house in their mother’s name. OP’s mother has now sadly died, and the OP hopes to take over the tenancy, but while that is being sorted out the council presumably feel that the property is theirs until a tenancy is granted to the OP and so have switched the supply to their supplier of choice. Apologies to the OP if I am misunderstanding.