So, if you dont know who is your supplier of Electricity and Gas, and you have not signed up with anyone, what then?

[PureQuintessence]

It is very complicated so I will be brief. Our tenants moved out on the 21st July, and we moved back into our house. At handover, tenant rang Utility Supplier (well known Supplier Of Electricity and Gas) and told them they were moving out and that the Landlord was moving in and taking over the supply from then on. I spoke to Utility Supplier to confirm this, and all was well. I received a "Welcome to Utility Supplier" letter in the post, and went away on holiday for a month, and returned to a "sorry you have left Utility Supplier" letter along with a final bill for £13.

I rang the Utility Supplier and told them there must have been a mistake. Spent 30 minutes on the phone to set up the account again. This was mid September.

By November I was wondering what happened to my bills and the account, and finally decided to call Utility Supplier in December to find out. No record of anything.

Another 40 minutes on the phone trying to set it up, and they said definitely this time will be ok. Went on Christmas Holiday.

Returned from holiday to find a letter saying "Sorry but your Current Supplier Object to handing over your contract".

What Current supplier would this be? I have tried my blardy damnest to sign up with particular Utility Supplier since 21st of July, how can another utility supplier just usurp my custom?

Went through to National Grid, and found that my current supplier is called Power To All. There is no such company. Googled their phone number, and found a company which publish no rates, and no information other than being "eco friendly". How can a utility company just be assigned a customer without the customer knowing, being informed and more importantly signing up with them?

Chosen Utility Supplier has now confirmed that I will be with them as per 31 Jan 2013.

But what about Gas and Lecky between 21st July 2012 and 31st Jan 2013?

I dont even know what rates I am on, with this company I have not heard of...

[MmeLindor]

Oh that's odd.

We moved into the house in August and I phoned electicity supplier in October to ask of they were ever going to get in touch. Wonder if they'd have left it this long if we hadnt.

Have you no way of getting in touch with new supplier?

[PigletJohn]

I take it you have not signed a contract with this company, so they are not your supplier.

From my experience with Utility companies, I recommend a brief, businesslike letter to the old, and your preferred new, supplier, saying that the previous occupiers have moved out and you have no connection with them, and that you wish to take out a new contract in your own name. Specify that you have no responsibility for the accounts of the previous occupier, and that you are a new customer.

The "previous supplier objecting" is almost certain to be because the previous occupiers have an unpaid bill.

It will be helpful if you know, and provide, the meter readings when you took over the property, as well as the date.

Phone calls are frequently bungled or fobbed off. It is more difficult for the supliers to do the same with a letter. You will keep a copy of it and if no acceptable response, can write a subsequent letter headed "Customer Complaint" which they are obliged by the regulator to deal with with.

[PigletJohn]

p.s.

on re-reading, it sounds possible that a scammer has pretended that you have signed up with this other company, in order to earn sales commission. This is not unheard of.

Just keep telling them, and your real supplier, that you have signed no contract with the shady lot, and accept no responsibility for whatever they have done. It will doubtless take months to sort out. Again, do it by brief letter, and move on to a subsequent letter headed "Customer Complaint" after a few weeks.

[PureQuintessence]

The tenants had been with Utility Company that I have tried to sign up with (Southern E....) for two years, so we rang them together and we gave the meter readings on 21st July. Until today I did not even know there was another utility company involved, they have never been involved before. Before the property was Let we were with British Gas. We thought we transferred the utilities together on the 21st when we spoke with them. It is most bizarre.

[LittleMilla]

I've recently started working for a utilities company- not one of the big six. It can take up to six weeks to transfer between suppliers which is mostly down to factors out of their control (ofgem etc).

Agree about writing a letter. Good luck.

[LittleMilla]

Sorry- just seen your dates. That's odd.

Just stick to your guns and so long as you have meter readings then you should be ok. Ignore the other supplier if neither of you have instructed them.