Utilita -removal of meter

sue.robins_2

Please can someone help, we bought 3 flats back in 2022 and converted them back into the original dwelling. 

There were 3 electric meters, 2 of which we had removed one with Utilita and one with Utility Warehouse as advised by them. 

We were never with Utilita and we were advised that due to a previous outstanding balance from the previous landlord we HAD to create an account with them to go through the change of tenancy as we had bailiffs round for the old debt!!
  I then received a bill from Utilita for £2500 going back to the day we moved in even though we had never registered with them!! I never received a bill from them at all until June this year !! Nothing from them at all prior to this bcos we had an online account apparently !! 

They are continuing to bill us for estimated usage even though there is no meter and it was never connected to the property!! No one seems to understand the problem
Utilita have asked for confirmation with Northern Powergrid as to when their meter was de-energised??!! NP have confirmed that they have not de-commissioned the meters therefore the energy suppliers can continue to charge for this and they should have removed them not the energy suppliers!! 

We were advised that it had to be the energy suppliers as it’s their equipment and illegal for anyone else to do this 

Utility Warehouse did refund us for the charges for the other meter that was removed, however have now started charging us estimated again!! 

I am at my wits end and have made over 10 calls to sort this with Utilita and to no avail, I went through the ombudsman and they said it’s all been sorted and refunded us £100 and closed the case!! 

We have been threatened with debt recovery action from Utilita they are just dreadful 
pls does anyone have any guidance on how to sort this?

MattMattMattUK

sue.robins_2 said:

Please can someone help, we bought 3 flats back in 2022 and converted them back into the original dwelling. 

There were 3 electric meters, 2 of which we had removed one with Utilita and one with Utility Warehouse as advised by them. 

We were never with Utilita and we were advised that due to a previous outstanding balance from the previous landlord we HAD to create an account with them to go through the change of tenancy as we had bailiffs round for the old debt!!
  I then received a bill from Utilita for £2500 going back to the day we moved in even though we had never registered with them!! I never received a bill from them at all until June this year !! Nothing from them at all prior to this bcos we had an online account apparently !! 

They are continuing to bill us for estimated usage even though there is no meter and it was never connected to the property!! No one seems to understand the problem
Utilita have asked for confirmation with Northern Powergrid as to when their meter was de-energised??!! NP have confirmed that they have not de-commissioned the meters therefore the energy suppliers can continue to charge for this and they should have removed them not the energy suppliers!! 

We were advised that it had to be the energy suppliers as it’s their equipment and illegal for anyone else to do this 

Who actually removed the meter? Was the meter actually removed, or just disconnected on the customer side of the meter? You would have been liable for standing charges from the point you moved in until the point the meter was removed. Have you checked if the remaining meter is actually the correct one, check the meter numbers. 

sue.robins_2 said:

Utility Warehouse did refund us for the charges for the other meter that was removed, however have now started charging us estimated again!! 

Both of those suppliers seem to regularly be the worst for customer services, raise a forma complaint, when the eight weeks take it to the ombudsman. 

sue.robins_2 said:

I am at my wits end and have made over 10 calls to sort this with Utilita and to no avail, I went through the ombudsman and they said it’s all been sorted and refunded us £100 and closed the case!! 

When did the Ombudsman make the judgement and can you link to it? Have you got in touch with the Ombudsman again?

sue.robins_2 said:

We have been threatened with debt recovery action from Utilita they are just dreadful 
pls does anyone have any guidance on how to sort this?

It is a hollow thread, because if you go to court no judge will allow them to demand invoices based on estimated usage are paid, especially when no energy has been used. 

sue.robins_2

Thank you Matt for replying, Utilita removed their meter and Utility Warehouse came out and removed theirs. They are both the most dreadful companies to deal with, I have checked the meter numbers etc 
I rang the person who had dealt with the case previously from the Ombudsman asking him to re-open the case and nothing!! They claim to not get involved with the billing side of things therefore I don’t understand what difference they can make 
The complaints dept claim due to the age of the debt I would need to refer back to the ombudsman, I initially raised a complaint with them then took it to the ombudsman after the 8 weeks as all they did was send me copy bills 
I don’t understand how they get away with this 

MattMattMattUK

sue.robins_2 said:

Thank you Matt for replying, Utilita removed their meter and Utility Warehouse came out and removed theirs. They are both the most dreadful companies to deal with, I have checked the meter numbers etc 
I rang the person who had dealt with the case previously from the Ombudsman asking him to re-open the case and nothing!! They claim to not get involved with the billing side of things therefore I don’t understand what difference they can make 

I think that they meant that Ofgem cannot get involved with a different complaint under the same initial complaint, you have to raise a new complaint via the supplier, then raise a new complaint with Ofgem. Ofgem certainly can get involved with billing.

sue.robins_2 said:

The complaints dept claim due to the age of the debt I would need to refer back to the ombudsman, I initially raised a complaint with them then took it to the ombudsman after the 8 weeks as all they did was send me copy bills 

Tell the complaints department that if they will not help to issue a deadlock letter, or if you already have a new final response, or passed the eight week threshold, then raise it with Ofgem now. You need to raise it as a separate complaint with Ofgem as this is now a billing issue, I know that they are connected, but you will need a new complaint for the billing issue. 

sue.robins_2 said:

I don’t understand how they get away with this 

Never underestimate the power of incompetence! 

EssexHebridean

@MattMattMattUK - did you mean the Ombudsman service rather than Ofgem, above?

MattMattMattUK

EssexHebridean said:

@MattMattMattUK - did you mean the Ombudsman service rather than Ofgem, above?

Sorry, yes, lack of coffee this morning!