Scottish PowerConundrum

[loopylu]

Hello,

 

Hope this is the right place.

 

I rented a 1 bed appartment for 4 months and the energy (Elec only) was supplied by scottish power. They estimated my bill would be based on £40 per month, so I set that up as a direct debit to them. When I moved out of the property and gave the final meter reading, it generated an EXTRA bill of £600 on top - ????

 

I complained and said for a one bed flat, with one occupant that £600 for 4 months on top of what I had been paying for my DD was just ridiculous. That I used to live in a 3 bed house and that was the annual bill and then some. They said that based on the reading I had given them, that was the cost and that's that. I said then the meter must be faulty - please could they come and check it? They said sure, no problem, they'll come back to me with the results.

 

I then got a call from an engineer asking me to let him in to the property - I told him I'd moved out and it wasn't my property to let them into. Everything went quiet for a number of weeks -then suddenly I find a debt company chasing me. Probably relatively unsuprising since I didn't chase anything up... why should I? I was waiting for them to contact the landlord and get the meter checked.

 

SO Buchanan Clark & Wells contacted me and after a VERY lengthy conversation with them, where they told me I had no right to raise any query on the account and just had to pay it, they eventually agreed to contact scottish power and query the account. THey've now come back to me and told me Scottish Power are not responsible for the meter, that the landlord will have to get whoever installed it to check if it's faulty, but that they won't place a hold on the account to enable me to do that. Is this right ref scottish power not being responsible and/or legal regarding refusing to put a hold on whilst I make some enquiries?

 

The guys at Buchanan, CLark and Wells are simply horrid and pushy and don't let you get a word in edgeways. I don't really know what to do. I can afford to pay the money but genuinely beleive I do not owe it. I work full time, and this was a one bed flat... that I lived in on my own.

 

It's making me stressed out and I have no idea what to do next.

 

Any advice greatfully received as the guy is going to call me back after work I expect.

 

Thanks in Advance.

 

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