Erroneous Transfer of Gas Supply

m_r_jackson90

I currently have my energy on a standard tariff with E.on next and have been looking to switch to Octopus energy after reading about there tracker tariff. I obtained a qoute from Octopus and left it at that. 

Upon doing some research into unit prices i noticed that E.on hasn't generated a Gas bill for my account since the 31st August 2023 despite me submitting both gas and electricity readings and paying my full direct debit. 

Octopus and E.on have confirmed that this has been a erroneous transfer most likely due to someone on my estate switching to octopus and putting the incorrect details in. 

Octopus have since emailed me confirming they are transferring me back to e.on and that it will be e.on's responsibility to bill be for the period between September and now. 

E.on have emailed my saying that as i was a Octopus customer (I wasn't) its upto Octopus to bill me for the time


Where do i stand? 

in these uncertain times i don't want to be hit with a massive bill which is none of our doing! ive found the erroneous customer charter from ofgem which says i shouldn't be out of pocket but surely the gas will have to be paid for at some point?

Alderbank

m_r_jackson90 said:

Upon doing some research into unit prices i noticed that E.on hasn't generated a Gas bill for my account since the 31st August 2023 despite me submitting both gas and electricity readings and paying my full direct debit. 

Octopus and E.on have confirmed that this has been a erroneous transfer most likely due to someone on my estate switching to octopus and putting the incorrect details in. 

Someone putting incorrect details in, you say?

It's easy to do. Couldn't have been you, could it?

Aylesbury_Duck

Why would you be hit with a massive bill? You'll be billed for what you've used, minus what you've paid. If Octopus was your supplier and you've paid them since August (which is what it reads like, so you ARE their customer), they'll charge you anything that's owed. If you are transfered to Eon and billed retrospectively, Octopus should transfer your payments for recent months into your Eon account. You won't be out of pocket if you only pay one supplier.

m_r_jackson90

Alderbank said:

m_r_jackson90 said:

Upon doing some research into unit prices i noticed that E.on hasn't generated a Gas bill for my account since the 31st August 2023 despite me submitting both gas and electricity readings and paying my full direct debit. 

Octopus and E.on have confirmed that this has been a erroneous transfer most likely due to someone on my estate switching to octopus and putting the incorrect details in. 

Someone putting incorrect details in, you say?

It's easy to do. Couldn't have been you, could it?

No it wasnt me, but i get your point with my typo it should say august 2022

m_r_jackson90

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Why would you be hit with a massive bill? You'll be billed for what you've used, minus what you've paid. If Octopus was your supplier and you've paid them since August (which is what it reads like, so you ARE their customer), they'll charge you anything that's owed. If you are transfered to Eon and billed retrospectively, Octopus should transfer your payments for recent months into your Eon account. You won't be out of pocket if you only pay one supplier.

Octopus are not my supplier, I've never paid them a penny and they don't hold any of my details (other than the contact I've had with them today)

Aylesbury_Duck

That's helpful, then.  Eon are your supplier and it's them you've been paying.  Octopus can't bill you for anything if they've never supplied to you.  Where do you fear this massive bill might come from?

macman

If you were erroneously transferred, then Octopus was still your supplier, even as a result of an error.
Why do you think you are going to get a massive bill? Unless you were on a cheap fix with Eon, your prices with Octopus would be the same on SVT under the EPG. It wouldn't make any real difference who you were paying.  But, since you have continued to pay Eon by DD, your account should be in substantial credit, and should cover any bill that Octopus send you. If necessary, ask Eon to refund sufficient credit to pay Octopus.
If neither supplier actually wants to bill you for this period then it's not your problem, but it should be Octopus.
The way to avoid this is to check your bill more often: it should have been obvious if there were no gas details on the last bill back in August. Did you not get a 'sorry you are leaving' message from Eon at the time of transfer, or a 'final' gas bill from them?

HillStreetBlues

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/problems-with-your-energy-supply/youve-been-switched-to-a-new-energy-supplier-without-your-agreement/

E.on should bill you, you don't pay anything to Octopus
You should also get at least £30

born_again

Well monthly DD is not always the amount of energy used. Usually it is what energy co works out you will use over a year.

So long as you have the monthly readings & know the date of transfer (check the meter number with Octopus which will confirm if they need to bill you or not.

I would be raising a complaint with both to sort it out.
Really needs to be in energy section, as not consumer rights issue.

[Deleted User]

The rules are here:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/problems-with-your-energy-supply/youve-been-switched-to-a-new-energy-supplier-without-your-agreement/

Basically, you should be put back into the position that you were in prior to the ET. Octopus should refund you all money paid to them (supplier to supplier is possible): E.oN should bill you as if you had never left. ET reverse complete: you can then switch if you so wish.

pochase

Are you paying by fixed direct debit or on receipt of the bill?

If you pay by direct debit, has the direct debit been collected at all? If only the gas was transferred and electricity stayed with Eon Next they might have only debited you for the electricity part of the bill. 

Did Octopus collect any money at all? Not very likely if you did not do the switch and did not give them bank details.

In any case, the bill you receive will not be unfair, it will just for what you have used. If you have not paid for the last 5 month you will have to pay now for it.