Back billing rule

SasaMiah100

we moved in our property in 2023 and at the time, didn’t know who our energy supplier was. We didn’t get any letters or bills addressed to us personally or even to”the occupier”.

fast forward 3 years later and OVO have sent us a whole 3 years worth of bills back dated. All estimates readings and have said this is the amount owed for 3 years worth of usage.

Has anyone else experienced this and if so, how did you navigate this? I’m sure we are protected by the back billing rule - where they cannot bill us for more than 12 months prior. We didn’t contact them because we didn’t know who or where to start, but there was always someone coming to take our meter readings with we assumed would go to the supplier who’s then at least contact us.

Can anyone advise?

Tia!

QrizB

Welcome to the forum.

we moved in our property in 2023 and at the time, didn’t know who our energy supplier was.

Your seller should have included information on your incumbent energy supplier among the other property information.

Even if they failed to do so, it's relatively straightforward to find your energy supplier (or suppliers, if you have more than one).

For example:

https://www.findmysupplier.energy/

fast forward 3 years later and OVO have sent us a whole 3 years worth of bills back dated. All estimates readings and have said this is the amount owed for 3 years worth of usage.

You can contact OVO with actual readings and they will reissue the bills.

I’m sure we are protected by the back billing rule - where they cannot bill us for more than 12 months prior

I strongly suspect you're not protected, as you haven't taken reasonable efforts to contact OVO during those three years.

We didn’t contact them because we didn’t know who or where to start,

As above, this is not difficult or complicated.

Can anyone advise?

Contact OVO, set up an account, provide meter readings, agree a repayment plan.

HillStreetBlues

You need to find out why the property wasn't billed for 3 years if OVO has been the supplier all that time.
They might have not known your name, but that doesn't stop them billing the occupier (I don't think they is anything about you having to chase a bill).

TroubledTarts

If OVO have not sent a bill to the property for three years surely this is their fault. A bill to owner/occupier?

A mail forward to the previous owner surely wouldn't be renewed for 3 years and them ignoring the bills.

Back billing could apply if OVO owns up to not making reasonable efforts to bill the property.

MWT

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82019244#Comment_82019244

I tend to agree, making zero effort to contact the supplier is likely to render the back-billing rules ineffective.

The intention is to prevent bill-shock not to reward staying quiet and hoping not to be noticed…

If this was a house purchase then the details would be on the TA6, if it is a rental then the agent or the landlord can provide the information and if all else fails it takes under a min online to discover where to look…

Keep_pedalling

Was this a new build property? Did you take meter readings when you moved in?

Scot_39

No wonder there is - or at least was - talk of switching supplies - and supposed plans for trials to test ease of doing so - to prepay initially on property / tenancy handover to counter one of the now known and non trivial sources of energy debt in the UK

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/policy/debt-strategy-update-supporting-reduction-energy-debt

"…., or the ability to access energy without setting up an account."

Maybe the suppliers should go further - and send the DNO / GDO around to every home - and pull the fuse / and cap the gas at the mains for the 40% still without operational smart meters.

Millions of others struggling to pay bills have to cut use - to pay for others who cannot or chosen not to pay for theirs.

I hope Ovo were generating bills - say to an old email or contact address for the previous occupants - and that just ran to the end of a debt process before sent to address - that the Op should have registered to receive - but was always legally responsible for.

The Op should of course have no problem paying their bill anyway - as clearly aware weren't being billed - and should of course have been saving the money every month to pay - knowing they one day would be.

squirrelpie

Do you own the property or rent it?

Boohoo

I don't understand why the energy company hasn't swapped the meter to a prepay one due to non payment after all this time.

As Scot said you should have 3 years worth of money saved up for energy not billed in a piggy bank to pay them

Chrysalis

I feel this is on you, surely you would have been aware normally you would be paying a bill, which to me would make this fit an exception.