Hi, I've just been billed by British Gas for electricity going back to July 2006. I have not attempted to find out who my electricity was being supplied with this during this period, or why I was not being billed. Can someone advise me of where I stand on the rule that they are only allowed to back bill for the previous 12 months? Also, there have been tenants staying in the house during this period who have now moved on. Am I solely responsible as account holder for the full amount? I think I know the answer to that one already, but I thought I'd ask anyway! Cheers.

Well it would appear to be your fault for not registering with BG. If they have sent out bills at least once a year for the past 2 years then even with the incorrect name and address then the OFGEM billing code does not apply. Your name is on the elec a/c and you are responsible although if you can prove third parties were involved via tenancy agreements then you may not be resposible for the whole bill although I'm fairly sure that BG will see this as a third party dispute and for you to reclaim from them.

I'm a Customer Service Specialist with utility company (not BG) hope this helps although I doubt it. BG should spread the payments over the next 2 years though to be fair.

To clarify about the 1 year back billing rule. This only applies if the billing is the companies fault and an important exception is when the property is a new build and the builders or occupier has not told the utility company then a back billing can go as far as it takes.

Thanks very much Artemis. Where do I stand if they have not sent an electricity bill to anyone at the property since July 2006?

If they had an incorrect address but correct meter details and sent bills there then they are covered.

If they had tried to get meter details or reads then they are covered.

If they have made no attempt to get meter details or reads and no bills have been sent out then the billing code applies IF you had made an attempt to register with a supplier.

Basically you have used the electricity and must pay for it.

You MAY wangle an exgratia payment out of BG if you cause enough fuss.

Unfortunately for you no attempt was made to contact them when you moved in, therin is your downfall.

With my company if no payments made for a year then a PDV (pre disconnection visit) is performed to find out who lives (or if property unoccupied) at the property. Depending on the result certain things happen. Most bad, ie pre-payment meter installed with the debt set on it to be repaid at usually £10pw or if unoccupied the meter will be removed. In this country every property has a right to supply (elec not gas) and every property in the country has a supplier. You have the right to change supplier which this site is all about but that changeover takes about 28 days so even if you contacted a supplier when you moved in and they took over the supply you would still have owed BG for the first 28 days.

Let me know if you need more info but going to Energywatch ( which will be disbanded in Sep08) won't do you any good.

Hi you seem to know a lot me than me in this area .....I am having a major battle at the moment with my electricity supplier. Basically for the past 3 years they have been taking the wrong metre reading which has left me with a bill of over £1000. Is it true they can only back bill for ONE year if it is their fault - which they have. HELP!!!! Thanks

Artemis

I'm wondering if you can help me.

I have just received a bill from an electricity supplier for nearly £3000. When I rang up to have a conversation with them about it and supplied the actual reading (they had estimated it despite having regular meter reads) the amount went to £6000.

Basically, when I moved into the property in 2004 it was connected direct to the grid without a meter. The property developer who bought the 2 flats merged it into one and just connected straight on.

I rang up United Utilities and got them to install the meter. I have had regular meter readings but have never received a bill until now. I have written to United Utilities on several occasions to no avail. When I spoke to them, they admitted they had all the readings and the fault was theirs.

The bill is now with a different electricity company but they had all the readings going back to the installation (I helped them reconstruct the account).

Any idea what I can do here?

Thanks!

Sorry for the delay but I've been on hols.

If they have have been reading the incorrect meter then yes it is partially their fault but you have probably been getting bills and on those bills is a meter serial number. It is a shared responsibility in that the power company is given the info of which meter is in the property by the Meter Operators (not always the same company as your supllier) and yourself to check that they are charging you correctly. Threaten them with the Ombudsman (used to be Energywatch) and see what happens, but keep up a dialogue and DON'T change supplier until it is sorted.

Artemis

I've not received a single bill (admitted by them) although I have had regular readings (also admitted by them). In fact, on the telephone with them I helped to reconstruct the account using all the readings they had and promptly had the bill doubled.

David

Unfortunately United Utilities are not an energy supplier, they are a distributor and meter operator. The Ofgem billing code does not apply to developer (builders) accounts which this seems to be as you were the first one to buy the flat from the developer. Were the power company billing you on the correct meter and did you get regular bills (at least once a year)? If yes to those two then you will be liable. The power company will argue that it is not their fault UU didn't give them the correct reads and they sent you bills which you can check at the meter.

Hi unserrer my previous answer was to AngryKid but no matter. If the supply was still in the builders a/c even after 4 years then the billing code does not apply as even sometime during that 4 years it may have occured to you that you hadn't received an elec bill and you should really have contacted your supplier during that time. What they should do is spread the repayments of that usage over 4 years (Eon would).

no mpan... Having just moved to a new place (bought rather than rented), and mystified that the supplier named by prevous owner knew nothing about our flat number (and a bit concerned we would get a big bill in future if i didnt sort it out) i contacted the regional supply board with the address - they say we never existed - but they will have to create an mpan as of today!!! So looks like our flat previous inhabitants got away without paying for maybe 12 years but now i have just alerted the suppliers

i didnt give my name but as they now have my address i suppose they will just post me an mpan. its been 2 weeks and havent heard anything. Have I made 'enough effort' - should i sit and wait or better to chase them? ie will i get billed in the end anyway? i am keeping meter readings each month or so as from day i moved in.

will they just tell me to pick a company to pay as from the day i receive the letter with mpan?

Thanks for your many useful posts on this subject.

You probably do have an mpan but under a slightly different address, which is quite common as builders quite often have an original postcode for the building site and when the buildings are complete the local authority then allocates postcodes to the houses/flats. The easiest way to find your mpan is to get your meter serial number from the front of the meter (barcode). Then give that number to the regional elec distributor and it will show along with the address they have it under and who the supplier is. Well done for keeping all your readings, a lot of people don't and get in a big mess.

Hi Artemis

OK so here is what has happened. Without me even having to mention the words OfGem or EnergyWatch, EON have come back and reduced the bill to only the last 12 months.

They have then agree to split that last 12 months bill over a year (£160 a month).

Which is great...question is should I now switch to someone else and if so, could EON demand the entire amount?

Yes they could, and they can also prevent you from transferring until the balance is cleared (under schedule 14.4a of the electricity supply licence, extract below), which they will almost certainly do.

Domestic Customer transfer blocking

14.4 The licensee may make a request in accordance with the Master Registration

Agreement to prevent a Proposed Supplier Transfer in relation to a Domestic

Customer at a Domestic Premises at which the licensee is the Relevant Electricity

Supplier in any of the following circumstances:

(a) the customer has not paid Charges for the Supply of Electricity to the

premises or any other premises previously owned or occupied by him

which are due to the licensee, have been demanded in writing, have not

been paid within 28 days after the demand was made and continue to be

unpaid;