Is this back billing?

Jaycee2411

Hello!

I'm with E-On Next and last year around April I was over £300 in credit with my electric. I asked for a refund of £200. Probably just after I asked for the refund E-On told me (can't find the email now) that in January 2022 they had neglected to take the direct debit as usual. After some extra checking today, it looks like they took no money at all to pay that month's bill (2022) even though I was over £100 in credit at that time. (It also looks, to my eyes that I wasn't billed for Feb either, although the direct debit was taken for Feb. It usually says (online statements every month) 'we charged you electricity £???' - but it didn't state that for Feb 2022). Sorry to digress.

Anyway, I got my £200 refund, but not long after they took payment for the Jan 2022 bill. I mention the refund because that helped me remember this. I was annoyed that I'd left over £100 in credit and then they suddenly remembered this non payment of a bill in 2022, took it and cut my credit balance by almost half.

Is this an example of back billing? It wasn't a large bill, just under £70 and I'm in two minds whether it's worth the hassle of querying it with E-On.

What I've also realised today, by looking at the past and current statements, what might have caused them to miss that DD. They emailed me last month to say they were going to reduce my DD payment. I replied telling them not to. It no sense to do that because my electric bills are usually at least £20 more. They said they couldn't stop that payment for April but from May I'd pay the usual for the DD. DDs are supposed to leave my account on the 1st of every month. Today is the 4th and they have still NOT taken the reduced DD. 

Thanking you for your advice in advance.

DE_612183

Not sure what you mean - back billing is when you have not received bills and then suddenly you get one covering x number of years, and only the last year can actually be billed for.

If you have had bills and made payments BB does not apply. 

Have you checked your on-line account about what it says for direct debits - they may have reduced it down to 0?

Ildhund

Sadly, while this is indeed back-billing, it's most probably not protected. IANAL, but I think the supplier is entitled to use any credit on the account to cover old charges that weren't billed at the time. We've seen plenty of examples of this in the forum. The back-billing protection rules are there to avoid plunging a customer into debt, which doesn't happen if there's credit enough to cover the old charge. 

Jaycee2411

Thank for your response, DE_612183.

Thank you, Ildhund. That makes sense. I'm sure you're right. I'm going to forget about it.