Help, done a silly thing, at wits end

ALIBOBSY

I think they are trying it on. Write to them with a complaint about the whole matter.
Point out the correct reading currently. Then state the date you took over ie when your Dad either passed away or had to move out, for them to ask for money from a deceased person after this long is crazy.
Point out the 12 month rule stating you feel it applies as 1) you didn't receive any BILLS either in your name, your dads or to the occupier.2) they had your gas account so were well aware you lived at that address and 3) You have contacted them and it is they who haven't sorted things out.
You want a written response to your complaint to pass to the ombudsman if you have to. I would definately go to written correspondance with them over this as they then can't go back on something they promise (which happens frequently over the phone with many companies-not just utillities)

good luck
ali x

Cardew

Oddjob wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

devon_guy - it isn't a case of unpaid bills, I haven't been sent a bill, there has been no bills sent in anyones name.

If they had been sending me bills, I would have paid them.

My gas is provided by the same company, who obviously have had my name all those years and I am on the electoral register as being at this address, so how can they argue that they believed the house was empty?

I have already posted earlier that I suspect you have a chance of reducing your bill under the Billing Code.

The facts are that you have not paid for any electricity for 9 years, and as you were not getting electricity bills you used electrical heating instead of gas; and as you stated:

I am now worried sick that they are going to hit me with a bill for 9 years of electricity, thousands of pounds which I won't be able to pay, or cut me off.
I know it was a very stupid thing to do, to bury my head in the sand, but I couldn't afford to chase after people offering to pay bills they hadn't sent me.

However to be quite honest in your subsequent posts I find this 'moral indignation', and stance that 'it is not my fault but the company's,' totally disingenous.

Let us be blunt, in any other field, but utilities, if you knowing used goods without the intention of paying for them, it would be theft. By any definition you have been guilty of deception.

That is not an attempt to pass moral judgement, but it really would be simpler if you outlined the facts and asked what were the chances of 'getting away' without paying.

To get down to practical advice it all depends how the authorities view the advice in Post#13

Unfortunately for you, the 12 month back billing rule does rely on the willing co-operation of the customer to some extent.

You clearly avoided any sort of co-operation in getting a bill as you admitted above. You even obstructed meter readers - " I never answer the door to the meter readers" and phone in gas readings(but not electricity apparently!!)

That said I expect the company will drastically reduce your bill, or even concede the 12 month rule applies; so your chances of 'getting away with it' IMO are quite good!

Grezzit

My girlfriend had a problem with British Gas not sending her any bills for over three years despite contacting them on a regular basis. Eventually BG figured out they had been reading the wrong meter and set about working out a bill estimating what she would have used.
She was worried silly, I told her about the 12 month back billing and when she mentioned it to them, they came back to her saying they were only going to charge her for 12 months as a gesture of 'good will'.
She has since sorted out an affordable payment plan with BG.

Premier_2

devon_guy wrote: »

The 12 month back billing is a myth. Martin was on Jeremy Vine on Friday and said that a utility company can go back as far as they want to reclaim unpaid bills. It's a myth that has grown over the years but it is not true.

MrsBartolozzi wrote: »

Sadly devon guy is right. Listen to Friday's Jeremy Vine show on radio2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00k6nbd/Jeremy_Vine_08_05_2009/


Martin's on 1hr and 10 mins in. The people asking the question are advised to contact Ofgem, but make sure you get some help with this.

It appears Martin was shooting from the hip at the time

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1684407