Octopus bill after 5 years

doctor40

HI, just looking for some advice. I signed my Mum up to Octopus a few months ago. I submitted some readings at the start and after 3-4 months and there was no bill. I contacted them to ask them to generate a bill. What they sent on the app was a bill dated 29/8/24 to 21/11/24. 

However in the detail of the bill it states based on your meter readings 1/11/2019 to 12/12/2019 - amount owed was 77.91 for gas (she was a customer 5 years ago).

This bill seems to have been generated 21/11/24. I contacted them and said a) what I was looking for was a bill since she had joined them in summer 2024 and b) Why were they now billing her for gas use 5 years ago, some of which was actually "used" over 5 years ago. 

They took the payment from her DD credit without any notification. This charge related to a previous account with a different account number. 

I assumed (possibly wrongly) that they could not take money from so long ago, I don't even know if it's accurate - there was not any communication between 2019 and now about this money being owed.

I contacted them and they basically said they're allowed to take it - they said re back billing - any billing past 12 months is written off on accounts that have been put into debt (not sure what that means). This is not the case on your account unfortunately.

Looking for some advice on whether I need to pursue this. My Mum's 88 and I feel bad that they've just taken money from her.

thanks

QrizB

It does sound rather like back-billing contrary to Ofgem's supply licence sconditions.

Octopus have a reasonable complaints process. You/she can use it.

https://octopus.energy/unhappy/

MeteredOut

So was your mum with Octopus back in 2019?

If not, then its obviously not her bill to pay.

If so, I'd be asking Octopus to prove bills were sent for that period. eg, the final bill she was sent when she moved to another supplier. If they can't, then back billing may be your defence.

But if they can show bills were sent, and the payments were not made, then I'd not be surprised if their T&Cs allow monies paid now to be offset against previously overdue amounts, especially since it is within the 6 year limit often referred to.

doctor40

MeteredOut said:

So was your mum with Octopus back in 2019?

If not, then its obviously not her bill to pay.

If so, I'd be asking Octopus to prove bills were sent for that period. If they can't, then back billing may be your defence.

But if they can show bills were sent, and the payments were not made, then I'd not be surprised if their T&Cs allow monies paid now to be offset against previously overdue amounts.

Thanks, yes I believe she was, however when she moved suppliers there was never any request for payment. I assumed they couldn't claim money back after 12M unless she deliberately tried to avoid paying or having the meter read (the meter is outside and the readings are specified on the bill) or she ignored their bill. None of which is true. 

doctor40

doctor40 said:

MeteredOut said:

So was your mum with Octopus back in 2019?

If not, then its obviously not her bill to pay.

If so, I'd be asking Octopus to prove bills were sent for that period. If they can't, then back billing may be your defence.

But if they can show bills were sent, and the payments were not made, then I'd not be surprised if their T&Cs allow monies paid now to be offset against previously overdue amounts.

Thanks, yes I believe she was, however when she moved suppliers there was never any request for payment. I assumed they couldn't claim money back after 12M unless she deliberately tried to avoid paying or having the meter read (the meter is outside and the readings are specified on the bill) or she ignored their bill. None of which is true. 

I've looked at my e mails from 2019 - that was around the time Flow was transferred to Octopus (Sept 2019), then she left Octopus in Nov 2019. The DD would have been active so if they had wanted to take money as a final bill they could have.  

doctor40

QrizB said:

It does sound rather like back-billing contrary to Ofgem's supply licence sconditions.

Octopus have a reasonable complaints process. You/she can use it.

https://octopus.energy/unhappy/

Thanks, I did speak to them although not through the official complaints process and they simply said they were correct and I could speak to the Ombudsman!

MeteredOut

doctor40 said:

QrizB said:

It does sound rather like back-billing contrary to Ofgem's supply licence sconditions.

Octopus have a reasonable complaints process. You/she can use it.

https://octopus.energy/unhappy/

Thanks, I did speak to them although not through the official complaints process and they simply said they were correct and I could speak to the Ombudsman!

Yes, I think that's what you'll have to do. You will have been speaking to their first line customer support, working off scripts, so you could also try their social media (Twitter) team first.

In the meantime, I'd still go back and ask for your mums final bill from when she left them previously. Them not providing that will be invaluable evidence to provide to the Ombudsman.

I'd not assume the lack of DD being taken as proof, unless you can also prove the DD Mandate was not cancelled when your mum moved suppliers and before any final bill might have arrived.