Hi all, When I bought a house in Sep 2021, I waited until I got a gas/electric bill with the company the previous owner was with (ESB), which didn't happen for a couple of months from memory, and then it didn't look quite right, but was based on estimates so I didn't worry too much as it was also aanounced the company was being bought out so I thought it would be sorted. Fast forward a couple of months and the new company (SO energy) started sending bills and I noticed they weren't right either as the numbers were way off still, and it appears the gas meter was incorrect based on the serial number. I contacted them (March 2022 time) and they said they would freeze the account and no payments would be taken until it's sorted, after a couple of months they sorted it and their new bills were based off the correct gas meter. However they had brought forward my debt from ESB which was based on estimates and the wrong gas meter. I contacted them again asking for this to also be resolved last summer (July 2022). They told me they'd look into it, bit of back and forth until September, when they said it'll be escalted and sorted. I gave the email chain a bump in December and then February trying to get an update with no luck and kept just leaving it expecting them to get back to me when it was resolved as that's what they had told me. Eventually I ring them to get an update (April 2023), and they asked for a photo of the meter, and said they'd get back to me within 10 working days having passed the information onto their Billing and Operations Specialists Team (26th April 2023), I get back into touch on the 18th of May having heard nothing, and I get told that after carefull review the billing team have confirmed that the account is correct and everything is ok. I pointed out that the new bills are correct but the debit value they carried forward from ESB is still unchanged and incorrect due to the wrong meter (having sent them copies of the bills with the wrong meter etc). They say due to ESB no longer trading they can't investigate it, and therefore the current debit amount is correct. I know I should have been more on the ball with this in the first place but is there anything I can do now? (the estimates show a usage of 18698kWh between 23 Dec 2021 and 30 Jan 2022 at a tasty £762 hence why I'm quite keen to get that removed)
Not sure if this is applicable in this case but worth being aware of: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/c...eceived-a-gas-or-electricity-bill-in-a-while/ I would call citzensadvice anyway to see what they say.
Ofgem have advice https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/informatio...bout-your-energy-supplier-or-network-operator Personally I'd be scrolling down that page to where it mentions contacting the ombudsman. It's gone on far too long.
Definitely go to the Ombudsman. But before you do that, let them know that you'll be raising your case with the Ombudsman - you'll be surprised how often that has an effect
Go through resolver resolver.com I had a nightmare with Eon, they got it resolved after I’d tried for 18 months.
Absolutely do not pay. You'll never get the money back. I had this problem a number of times when I managed the utilities at merry hill. It often wouldn't get resolved until a bailiff arrived and they had a line to a department that could actually get **** done. Just keep at them with a weekly chaser, notify the ombudsman, then copy them in on the chasers with a note for them/directing the provider to be aware you've notified them. Not much else you can do but nah, but just do not pay it.
