I stand corrected - the OP did add one further post. And it would appear that the neighbour has given a representative of the supplier the OP's name, although the neighbour is denying they did this.

And the OP has not added anything to the thread ever since their original post! Even before I started contributing to the thread (and that some way in). I will stress that the OP has only ever made contact with their supplier once SEVERAL YEARS after they moved in. And that was only ringing an automated telephone line to give the supplier their reading after getting a call-back card put through their letterbox. They did not give the supplier their name or details of when they moved in - the original post makes this clear. The OP wonders how the supplier got hold of their name. I would suggest some p*ss*d off neighbour or local in the pub gave the supplier the details (after no doubt hearing the OP's witty story about getting away with not paying anything for their electric). I would also add that the OP has stated the actual meter reading is less than what the supplier has billed for. So the estimate is in the OP's favour! Stands to reason - if you are not paying any bills, you are probably very slap-dash with how much electric you are using. £10 000 seems an awful lot of money but if you don't have to pay for your usage, you will use your electric as much (and more) as you want.

That's not bad. I'm impressed!

How will they know the reading on the date a consumer left if they don't know the date the consumer left? It can only tell the supplier information about the meter, not information about the customer (well, I'm assuming that is the case anyway - and as with any machine - rubbish (information) in, rubbish (information) out). I am suspicious about SMART meters becasue in my view it will mean electric suppliers will become ever more complacent and think that the technology can get them out of trouble. And it seems judging by some threads I've seen on this website that electric suppliers still set incorrect prices on keymeters (which are a type of SMART meter in a way) and seem incapable of solving the problem without a whole lot of hassle on the customer's part.

Yeah, but a SMART meter won't tell the supplier who the consumer is (which is one of the root problems in this thread).

Am I right in thinking that you jointly own your home, Deb? And did the original account holder also previously joint-own the home with you?

Do you have electric and gas Helen, or just electric? Your usage does sound pretty high. Are your bills based on estimated or actual readings? Are you at home all day, how big is your house? Regardless of how you pay your bills, you are going to be struggling on your income to pay for the electric you use if the bills are correct and/or without cutting down on your usage.

Can you send a photocopy in to Southern showing those readings? Obviously the readings they have used to close the account on are not really readings - even if Southern claim they are. Not as if it is difficult to read this type of meter - one of the easiest type to read.

Er no, Deb, you are talking bollocks. You said originally that you refused to give EON any up to date meter readings or allow them access to the meter!!! What exactly is the issue here...??? If you gave them a correct meter reading, then you would get a refund - surely??? Much ado about nothing, in my opinion....

And the key point here is - - why would EON agree to the request of the original consumer that no name on the account should be changed without their permission??!! I have experience of working for the former Eastern Electricity ( 10 years ago admittedly) but this woould not have been agreed to then, see no reason why this agreement would be made now....

I would also advise anyone with an E10 meter to keep a close eye on their bill. It is impossible for us meter readers to tell which reading is which on the machines when we enter the readings after inspecting the meter. The 3rs reading should be Ok, but it is quite likely that the other two readings have been mixed up in my experience. We never know which way round those readings have initially been entered on the computer records. A pity really -= cos E10 is theory an excellent tariff to be on if you have electric storage heaters. Pity only EOn amonst the main suppliers seem to recognise the tariff.....

Zazen Warrior - I find that that you are agreeing with some of my points over the last few days.-I apologise - perhaps we are not poles apart as I originally believed

Er, mor ethasn one person can be named on the bill- surely that be should be the case here? As to the estimeated bills - why you are paying the bills when the correct readings are less than the estimated readuings is beyond me. Can anyone else illuminate me??!!

Thanks Clare. You are right - I know that some people worry so much about what will happen to them if they don't pay the bills. A cursory glance at some threads on this website will show this to be true. My job demonstrates how some people worry about this -even though it is quite clear to me they are being overcharged. I just wish the electic suppliers between them could sort out a system to clamp down on freeloaders and in addition support those who genuinely need the help. Its the all right Jack sociey we live in, unfortunately.

I don't want to sound like a long -playing record but I do want to make my point here! Pelham definitely has some valid points. In particular, he/she seems to have done all they can to resolve the situation, unlike the original poster. There has to come a point when no more! That is totally different sitauation to that outlined by the original OP. That should not be emphasised enough! It is not an us against them situaton. It is the right thing to do. This is such an important point but virtually no-one seems to bear this in mind!! I just hoipe the courts still have the sense to bear this in mind -0 assumint his case goes to that stage...

Deb T is taking the ****. It's quite clears she is living at he address and using the electric. The supply should remain in her name. Why she is refusing access for someone to read the meter or not phoning in the correct reading ehrn it isd supposedly less than the reading on the estimated bill is totally bizarre....

Clare, just shows how inconsistent the advice is (not just from EON. I read for many companies - although being based in East Anglia, EON is the dominant supplier for electic). In my work as a meter reader, I come across plenty of customers that have a meter with two readings but being billed on single rate prices. It can be done quite simply - if the employees know what they are doing! Indeed, it makes sense to have a meter with two readings because if the customers circumstances change or someojne else moves in, E7 may then be the best tariff and having this kind of meter installed already means the supplier does not have the extra expense of going out to fit an E7 friendly meter. In response to the OP (God, they seem remote - this thread seems to have rather gone off the subject!), I think the best solution is that suppliers should physically go around to a property to disconnect the supply when someone leaves (I believe they did this in the distant past). Would get rid of any disputes - to obtain elecric supply (or gas, for that matter) the new occupier would have to then contact the supplier (or perhaps some kind of company that deals with the supply network) to reconnect the power. Of course, this would rely on an efficient and accurate database to be in place so that people knew who the previous supplier at a particular address was. Oh well, here's hoping for some kind of utopia... I still stand by my previous threads though. The OP has clearly made virtually no effort to inform anyone that they are living at an address and are using electric. They should not be allowed to take advantage of the system. Granted, the systems in place should be more effective - I do not dispute that. However, the OP has admitted quite openly that they have taken advantage of the system and yet have pleaded that their bill should only be backdated for the last year! This is, I feel, absolutely non-sensical and should not be allowed. I am not saying they should be forced to pay the arrears in one go - a long-term payment arrangement should be negotiated. But they should have to pay for what they have used! There is no inkling that the customer is vulnerable in any way = they have just taken advantage of the situation. Maybe I am getting on my soapbox here, but Great Brirtain as a nation seems to have lost amy understanding of the notion of common sense. Someone uses electric (or any other kind of good), they should pay for that usage. The suppliers do not help the situation by appearing to be remote, ie: targets set to answer so amny queries within a set time period, who cares how accurate the answers are? - lets get the customer off the phone as quickly as we can ( I sincerely hope my supplier Ebico are an exception to this mantra). However, that does not invalidate the main point. I struggle to pay my bills. I do manage but I don't earn wads of money. I am not some kind of privileged individual that can feel smug enough to declare that I can not get paid by my employer for six months or so and yet still pay all my bills (ie: some kind of "liberal" Guardian reader). I do sympathise with people that have been genuinely let down by the systems and hopefullly, some comments I make (when i have the knowledge required) can help them in getting advice that will really help them. However, I do not want to help people that are clearly abusing the system. The OP was quite clear in the fact they had been abusing the system, yet then asked for help in trying to manipulate the system so they only had to pay one years worth of charges!!! They should not be entertained in my opinion.

This sounds utterly bizarre and unbelievable! And why would you want to transfer the account into someone else's name (without leaving your name on the account as well) when you are still living at the property??!!

I work as a meter-reader and I came across a shop owner recently that doesn;t have access to their electric meter because it is in the passageway of the flat above (which has a seperate locked entrance). I asked to read the meter but the shop-owner did not have a key to get into the passageway because the landlord wouldn't let her have one. She was very concerned to get a reading because her bills had all been estimated because of this problem. I went on a wild goosechase on behalf of the shopowner to get hold of the key but I consider that the landlord (a hotel owner) and his staff were being deliberately obstructive in allowing access to the meter. Surely there should be something in the legislation to protect the consumer in this type of situation? Maybe the electric supplier should be forced to move the meter into a location where the consumer can gain access to read it, in this type of scenario? Bushpig - I would agree with you in that the estimated bill at your previous address sounds ridiculously high. Not sure what you can do about it now though as you no longer live at the address, and the present occupier's usage patterns are unlikely to be similar to yours were when you lived there.

But if the customer refuses to provide a reading or to provide access to read the meter, then all the company can do is use an estimate. Or should they apply to the court for a warrant to get a reading/ disconnect the customer? Granted, I am not saying that has definitely happened in this case but it is entirely possible for this to happen. It just seems blatantly unfair that someone does not pay a bean for eight years because no-one knows anyone is living at an address and then only has to pay for a years usage when they finally get a bill. Surely the piece of legislation serves to exist people that have been messed around by their electric supplier (which we all know happens far too often), not to protect freeloaders and abusers of the system?

Er, Bookworm, the fact that a bill has been produced with a meter reading at the beginning and a meter reading at the end proves that electricity has been used - even if they are only estimates, it is the responsibility of the customer or resident to provide correct meter readings. Until that happens, the bill stands! And the company is sending out a bill for electricity, that is not demanding with menace!!!! What are they supposed to do - stand idly by and continue not to bill the customer. Oh, and Bookworm I don;t have particularly high moral standards. I just know the difference between right and wrong. Something which some people don;t seem to have an inkling about!

I might add, the situation is similar to starting a business and not informing the tax office you have started a business or not informing the council you are liable for apying council tax. Are they allowed ?- no, I didn't think so. It does not take much to phone a company to tell them you have moved in to an address. Granted, if there are problems when the customer rings in, in establishing who the supplier is and the companies do not deal with this effectively, that is a different matter (and is something that the customer should not be penalised for) but that is absolutely not the case. Besides, the original poster has not said this is a new house anyway.

There was something on the news today - about a woman being sued for claiming a lottery ticket lost in the street when it wasn't her that lost it in the first place. Basically stealing. That's exactly what the original poster has done really. Stealing electricity from the supplier (together with the other residents of the house). He/she has openly admitted that they have not ever attempted to contact the supplier (or find out who the supplier is) apart from responding to a call-back card SEVERAL YEARS after moving in. I'm sorry but the code about rebilling back further than a year should not apply in this case.

May still be worth going to CAB Helen, so that someone unbiased can look at your bills to see if the amount outstanding is actually correct.

Clare L has explained why.