Sparks Energy Chasing an 18 month old bill!!

[swifty0780]

Please respond with any advice available, please no judgement.

 

I moved into an new flat (as a tenant) on July 27th, 2011.

 

I immediately called British Gas to put the bill in my name,

however British Gas told me that the previous tenants had decided to switch to a different electricity company.

I asked whether i could stay with them,

however British Gas said that it was too late to stop the switch.

I then asked them, whether or not they knew which electricity will now be supplying us,

and they stated it would be N Power.

 

So starting from the 8th of August 2011 I would be supplied by N Power.

 

I tried to call them several times in the following couple of days, but i never got a response back.

I then contacted British Gas to switch back to them,

but they said i had to wait a month before i could do so.

So I was only able to switch back to British Gas on September 8th 2011.

British Gas took care of all the details, and had no problems.

 

However, I never ended up having a bill for the electricity used during the period starting the August 8th 2011 and ending september 8th 2011,

as N Power never contacted me back, and after a while i gave up.

 

Now FAST FORWARD to February 23rd 2013, and Sparks energy sends me a bill claiming that i owe THEM £255 + interest for not having paid sooner!!

 

I searched online for any help, and sent them a letter stating that due the Code of Practice for Accurate Back Billing,

since they are at fault for not billing me sooner,

and that the bill is not applicable because the energy supplied was consumed more than 1 year previous to the bill being issued.

 

Sparks energy then responded stating, that they had received my letter,

and that they have looked over the account and they can advise the final bill was sent out on 20th of March 2012.

(However, I never received it, as I suppose it was put in the name of the previous tenant.)

 

They finished by saying "unfortunately Sparks Energy are not part of the back billing code so the bill does stand,

I do apologise that there has been a delay in the final bill issued out due to this my manage has offered a 10% discount of the balance on the bill.

 

I have yet to respond back. Please let me know if there is any other way i can fight this bill, I just don't have that sort money laying around. Thanks for the help!!

[honeybee13]

Hello and welcome to CAG.

 

I think the guys on the Utilities forum should be able to help you, so I'll move your thread there and leave a short term redirect from this forum.

 

My best, HB

[porkyp1g]

Please respond with any advice available, please no judgement.

 

I moved into an new flat (as a tenant) on July 27th, 2011. I immediately called British Gas to put the bill in my name, however British Gas told me that the previous tenants had decided to switch to a different electricity company. I asked whether i could stay with them, however British Gas said that it was too late to stop the switch. I then asked them, whether or not they knew which electricity will now be supplying us, and they stated it would be N Power. So starting from the 8th of August 2011 I would be supplied by N Power.

 

I tried to call them several times in the following couple of days, but i never got a response back. I then contacted British Gas to switch back to them, but they said i had to wait a month before i could do so. So I was only able to switch back to British Gas on September 8th 2011. British Gas took care of all the details, and had no problems.

 

However, I never ended up having a bill for the electricity used during the period starting the August 8th 2011 and ending september 8th 2011, as N Power never contacted me back, and after a while i gave up.

 

 

Now FAST FORWARD to February 23rd 2013, and Sparks energy sends me a bill claiming that i owe THEM £255 + interest for not having paid sooner!!

 

I searched online for any help, and sent them a letter stating that due the Code of Practice for Accurate Back Billing, since they are at fault for not billing me sooner, and that the bill is not applicable because the energy supplied was consumed more than 1 year previous to the bill being issued.

 

Sparks energy then responded stating, that they had received my letter, and that they have looked over the account and they can advise the final bill was sent out on 20th of March 2012. (However, I never received it, as I suppose it was put in the name of the previous tenant.) They finished by saying "unfortunately Sparks Energy are not part of the back billing code so the bill does stand, I do apologise that there has been a delay in the final bill issued out due to this my manage has offered a 10% discount of the balance on the bill.

 

I have yet to respond back. Please let me know if there is any other way i can fight this bill, I just don't have that sort money laying around. Thanks for the help!!

 

If you used the energy then the debt is yours. Can't you ask them to remove the interest and pay the rest over a set period (10 or 20 a month) or whatever you can afford?

[renegadeimp]

Discounts means somethings funky with the debt. Especially if the min wage oik sending you the letter says "their manager has allowed a 10% discount".

[dx100uk]

the bill was not in your name

something fishy here

discount aswell.

 

and what ahas spark energy got to do with it all?

 

dx

[swifty0780]

the bill was not in your name

something fishy here

discount aswell.

 

and what ahas spark energy got to do with it all?

 

dx

 

When British Gas had told me that my electricity was being switch to NPower in August 2011, they had mistaken. My electricity was being provided by Sparks energy, not NPower, but I did not know at the time. Hope this clears it up.