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Original poster

Fucking fuming - energy bills

36 replies

ThePastafarian · 30/06/2022 12:46

I cannot go into the entirety of my beef with Avro energy as I will lose the will to live. I've explained it so many times just thinking about it makes me want to scream.

In a nutshell, there was a fuck up with them billing us properly, and we got stuck with a massive backdated bill. I complained to Ofgem - and Avro went bust. Me and my massive debit balance got passed to Octopus.

The thing that has me raging is that, after fucking months, Octopus have basically come back and said "Avro's administrators have told us this is correct so you have to pay it". Ofgem closed my complaint about Avro because they went bust, I can't complain about Octopus because none of it anything to do with them, and I'm supposed to suck up this massive debt that is the result of Avro not billing us properly - with no recourse to complain to anyone!

🤬🤬🤬

OP posts:
Original poster
ThePastafarian · 30/06/2022 13:18

Ofgem have already washed their hands of the whole thing on the basis that Avro don't exist anymore. I'm nervous about taking it all the way to court for several reasons: general stress and worry, and wouldn't I get hit with court costs if I lose? I can't afford to make this any worse! The media consumer advice thing is a good idea - as is the GDPR request. Thanks!

OP posts:
BIWI · 30/06/2022 13:15

Consumer champions

Money at The Guardian

JustTheOneSwan · 30/06/2022 13:13

She's already been to offgem ^^

BIWI · 30/06/2022 13:13

I'd go to the media about this - the Guardian has a weekly consumer column (as does the Observer) and this is exactly the kind of thing they can help with:

Consumer desk: [email protected]

Consumer investigative column in weekly Money section [email protected]

Muezza · 30/06/2022 13:10

I would be asking for them to send over all of their records about your account (citing GDPR) so you can actually see on what basis they are requesting the payment and then contact the energy ombudsman.

JustTheOneSwan · 30/06/2022 13:08

Can you get the money together? If it's possible to have the money in reserve I would let them take me to court and let a judge decide. Even if it goes against you provided you pay straight away it won't be held against your credit fil e.
the judge will take into account that you've tried ombudsmen and payment plan.

TammyOne · 30/06/2022 13:03

Energy Ombudsman. They will help, they were very good when I used them.

Original poster
ThePastafarian · 30/06/2022 13:00

I think we did use it. It initially sounded like some of it fell outside the 12 months for which they can back-bill you - but Octopus are now saying it doesn't. They didn't issue an actual itemised bill for about 9 months - but were displaying an account balance that was massively in credit. They hit us with the debit balance when I queried this. Octopus say they were estimating the bill "for a while" as apparently my metre readings didn't match what they thought we'd be using, so they just ignored them - but never fucking said anything! I'm struggling to pin down a timeline of when they apparently noticed a problem, when they started estimating the bill, whether the final amount is based on my readings or their estimate... Because I'm having to go through Octopus to figure out what Avro did, and they aren't asking the questions I would ask.

I would genuinely like to scream at somebody but at this point I'm not even sure who?!?!

OP posts:
Matchingcollarandcuffs · 30/06/2022 12:50

Did you user the energy ? Will they accept a payment plan at least ?

Finally do you have any recourse under the backdating rules for any of it to be written off?

WinterMusings · 30/06/2022 12:50

You are DEFINITELY not BU to be properly fucked off!!

How old is the original bill?

Did you use the energy?

Are you disputing the amount used or the rate they applied or just the mistakes they made in billing? (Was it something like an estimated bill that was way under what you used??)

JustTheOneSwan · 30/06/2022 12:48

Ouch did it bar you from the backdating rules?
What option is left now pay or court?