Should this be easy to clear up? Bailiff-type letter about energy bill I don’t owe.

Jenni_D

i_like_cats said:

TheMilkmansDad said:

i_like_cats said:

Thanks, TheMilkMansDad, that’s useful.

But surely in my letter I should tell them the correct account number and meter numbers for the flat I rented?  Then they will realise they are barking up the wrong tree.

I am actually still able to log in to my account and view all my old bills and payments, including the final payment.

I wouldn't give them anything, they're wasting your time so repay the favor in kind. They need to prove that you owe the debt remember. It's not for you to prove you don't. 

I know but can’t they mess up my credit score in the meantime?

How? A debt collection company can't simply place a "marker" on your file. And a County Court Judgment (CCJ) only happens IF you get taken to court and IF you lose (or don't defend) and IF you don't pay the judgment in the allotted time. That's entirely in your own hands ... not that they're likely to start court proceedings anyway.

BTW - a credit score is largely meaningless, as pretty much all finance providers use their own metrics to determine your creditworthiness. What's on your credit file is more important.

Phones4Chris

@i_like_cats I wouldn't give that Debt collector the "correct" account number if you end up in any correspondence with them just in case they try playing silly buggers down the line. If you were to send a copy of your final statement I'd redact the account number and make a point of saying "correct account number" redacted.

MWT

Baldytyke88 said:

i_like_cats said:

I just received a bailiff-style letter relating to an alleged energy bill debt, from a firm I don’t want to name, who have been discussed on this forum previously.
It states it relates to a flat where I used to be a tenant, that I moved out of over a year ago.

If you receive an energy bill that is older than 12 months, you generally do not need to pay it as per Ofgem regulations, which prevent energy suppliers from charging for energy used more than a year ago due to their billing errors; this is known as "back billing" and is considered illegal under UK law.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/what-do-if-you-get-back-bill

An exception to that is where, like the OP, a refund has been made as the energy supplier is entitled to recover the refund if it turns out later there was a mistake...

WBCPB

And download ALL your pdf bills and correspondence if you have not already done so in case you need to escalate the complaint to the ombudsman.