Bill from e-on for gas 2004 to 2007

[tiggerjaye]

Wonder if anyone can help me - sorry for being looong....

 

I rented a house end of 2004 and it was a new build, we were first to live in it. The gas meter didn't 'belong' to anybody, Transco couldn't help and after many phone calls we were told to wait 'until a bill appeared'. The electricity bill appeared from eon and so that all worked as normal. A gas bill never appeared the whole time we rented the house (27months).

 

Mid 2007 we moved out moving Eon with us to the new house and they asked if we liked gas & elec with them so that what we did, enlarging the direct debit to cover the gas & elec at the new place.

 

The other day I received a 'Final Gas Bill' to my new address, where we have now lived for nearly 2 years, for the old property for gas from Jan 2005 to May 2007. I quite simply can't afford to pay it. I had the post redirected for twelve months after we moved out so know no bills could have been sent addressed to me May 2007 to May 2008.

 

E-on of course know the exact dates I lived there as they supplied Electricity the whole time I was at the previous house and are now my current supplier.

 

The bill is all based on estimates except apparently they read the meter Jan 2005 as being 'o' - which is impossible as we'd lived there over a month by then, plus the gas had been used before we moved in etc. I did have the meter reading when we moved in somewhere but I can't find it now..

 

and then they say I gave a final meter reading in May 2007 - which is impossible I didn't know the supplier!

 

Has anyone any suggestions as to what I do next? I need to them I guess but don't know which way to go with this???!

[tiggerjaye]

Please does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should write to them? Could really do with any help please?

[Clare_L]

Hi Tiggerjaye

 

The billing code may apply here, which means so long as you made an effort to find out who your supplier was for the gas, but were not billed for that period, they may not be able to backbill more than 1 year. Now the billing code has recently changed again, and your case may apply. The best thing you can do for now is call them and ask to speak to someone about the billing code. Check what dates they are billing you for and see if they tally with the dates you lived there, you may need tenancy agreements if this doesnt fall inline. Question the 0 reading, make sure there wasnt a meter exchange. Is there any way you can be sure they are billing you for the correct meter? All this you need to find out from eon.

 

Clare

[tiggerjaye]

Thanks Clare L for your message! By calling them, and admitting I lived there and when am I admitting that I'm liable for it or can I say I did but that I think due to the billing code they can't bill me?

 

Don't want to give them rope to hang me with....

[Clare_L]

Exactly, and the fact they KNEW they supplied the electricity should vouch for that. They can then only bill you for one year, and then have to give you the equivalent time to make payment, so ie if they didnt bill you for 3 years, they give you 3 years to pay.

[tiggerjaye]

Hi Clare L - here's an update..

 

After a very looong conversation on the phone they said they'd get back to me... someone then rang back saying yes the Billing Code did apply and that they'd send out a revised bill..

 

Silly me I got excited think it would all be sorted! But alas - the bill arrived for £13 less than the original!

 

Any ideas what I should do now? They seem utterly moronic on the phone so think I will write this time instead - although not sure if it will make any difference!

 

Thanks for your help with this!

[Clare_L]

£13???? I think then if you are going to write, and strongly advise this, you ask for a breakdown of how they came to this conclusion. Its highly unlikely that you would have only used £7.50 per year and would point that out to them. If you do a search on here, I believe a copy of the billing code of practise is available for you to take a look at, so would add a copy of that to your letter, highlighting what is appropriate to your case.

 

Clare

[Clare_L]

http://www.energy-retail.org.uk/documents/CodeofPracticeforAccurateBills.pdf

 

The billing code

[tiggerjaye]

Well at long long last - they have applied the billing code in full and closed the account!! Woo hooooo thank you so very much for your help Clare!

 

xx