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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Worried I will end up in prison!

298 replies

isitfree · 29/12/2021 21:17

I bought a house 3 years ago and did not receive an electric bill so after 5 months I got in touch with the company the previous owners said they had, turned out no electric company had ever had anyone with an account at my address. It is a private new build and has never been registered as receiving an electric supply. I then found out the council did not know the house existed and no council tax had been paid in the previous 10 years that the original owners had it!
I have managed to register with the council now and the person who rates the properties came out to value it for council tax. HOWEVER I can not get any electricity company to register us for an account.
The electric is coming from somewhere but no bill has been paid for 13 years!!! I even phoned the national grid and was told "oh dear, the previous owners have really dropped you in it" What the hell do I do?

OP posts:
Angrywife · 30/12/2021 18:02

If the council don't know your house exists, are you on the electoral roll registered to vote?

BrotherHelp · 30/12/2021 18:06

OP, you are a lovely human being to go to the extent you have done to try and pay your bill! And I’m pleased you are only going to be charged from now

Wish44 · 30/12/2021 18:13

We are in a similar position OP. We have tried everything, even complaining to ofgem. Still nothing. Someone at one of the electric companies actually said to me that I should stop perusing it as no one is ever going to charge us 🤷🏻‍♀️.

It is stressful as it sits at the back of your mind as an unresolved issue.

BooneyBeautiful · 30/12/2021 18:14

@FOJN

Is there a meter? Did you take a reading when you moved in? If you've kept a record of your calls and have tried to sort the situation out then I don't think they can hold you responsible for not paying a bill you have not received. Just make sure you don't end u paying for the previous owners. I would also contact the Solicitor who handle the purchase, I seem to recall completing documentation with details of utility suppliers when I've sold a house and received similar documentation when I've bought a house. The estate agent would usually require info about council tax banding too so I think you have been let down by a few people who have not done their jobs very well.
I agree. Seems very lax that your conveyancer didn't at least pick up on the Council Tax. You may even want to report them to their governing body.
Scrooge89 · 30/12/2021 18:19

Your solicitor should know and they should be reported

Shell4429 · 30/12/2021 18:20

This happened to me when I moved into a new build. I got fed up trying to get someone to acknowledge my address existed so I gave up. I put £100 a month into a savings account for three and a half years and then finally got a bill, which I paid.

Scrooge89 · 30/12/2021 18:21

@isitfree

BIG UPDATE !!!

After all this time, I have just received a call from someone who knows what they are talking about. I will be provided with an MPAN number and when I receive it I have to give a meter reading and will only be charged from that meter reading to the next reading. So basically starting my reading from zero. It looks like I have another month of free electric first as they say it will take 28 days.

Who called you OP? This will help others in this situation
Stace99 · 30/12/2021 18:21

I had something similar and eventually found out that the property was registered as a commercial property, which is why nobody could find it, when it eventually got sorted they took a meter reading then started charging from then onwards.

Zoejj77 · 30/12/2021 18:31

Oh dear. Happens a lot with new builds - it’s quite common. It’s a breakdown of communication with the house builders, the company they appoint to install the supply cables and then the ones they appoint to fit the meter.
The details go from plot addresses to postal and sometime aren’t registered with Royal Mail either. The developers - not the suppliers are to blame in this scenario and they usually provide the supplier with all the handover details at point of sale- no one will admit they are to blame tho and the customer gets fed up ringing around and gives up. They need to get their MSN (meter serial number) off the front of the meter . It will be a mixture of numbers and letters . Then either call/email or live chat a couple of the big suppliers with their msn asking for help or contact their local distributor who will help

happychops · 30/12/2021 18:31

Hi, we had similar issues. Type in your postcode on this link - it will tell you who your network operator is and They should be able to help www.energynetworks.org/

Zoejj77 · 30/12/2021 18:32

They will not be liable for anyone else’s use.
Tell them to take a pic of the meter and make a note of readings

Sister worked for electric company for 15 years she gave me the info hope it helps x

Bebethany · 30/12/2021 18:33

isitfree is your house on the land registry? Are you on the electoral role at this address? Do you have neighbours you could ask?

You won’t go to prison, but do keep a time line and email thread.

Jamesmouse · 30/12/2021 18:37

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Jamesmouse · 30/12/2021 18:41

The worrying thing is that there are other people who take a post like that seriously and try and reassure her.

Paganfreya1988 · 30/12/2021 18:42

If you are on a smart meter, you are paying your account, assuming it’s a smart meter, there are only so many companies that do payg meters. A normal meter different.

I would definitely get in touch with the solicitor who helped you buy the house.

Also go and see CAB or ring them… more evidence in your pocket is better than none.

Of course the fuel you are using maybe different now, especially if the energy company has gone bust.

Keep a note book of all the companies you have rung already, dates, times and names of the people you have spoken to.

Also perhaps if you have Facebook, join the debt forum, they maybe can help point in the right direction, and your MP.

Who read the meter when you bought the property?

Good luck.

Jamesmouse · 30/12/2021 18:44

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csigeek · 30/12/2021 18:45

We had something similar with Npower when we moved in to our house, 100% certain they were the gas suppliers but we weren’t charged for it. Multiple calls trying to figure it out, trace the gas meter etc over the next 2 years and came up with nothing.
Eventually I had an online chat conversation with npower where I got them to agree that they did not supply gas and that we would not be liable for any final gas bill should we move to another supplier. Saved the conversation to PDF.
Moved to another supplier and then received a final bill for gas from npower for about £3k, fully credited so nothing to pay!
I’d see if you can get something similar in writing from all the suppliers you can think of so you have no comeback
Good luck!

Jamesmouse · 30/12/2021 18:49

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MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 30/12/2021 18:54

How bizarre and what a curious mystery!

tootsierubs · 30/12/2021 18:57

This happened to me in a flat I private rented about 20 years ago. Like you I tried everything to pay something but gave up in the end. Never did have anything come of it!

perfectstorm · 30/12/2021 19:00

MPs do deal with situations like this, actually. They have caseworkers who handle issues for constituents. It's remarkable, and also quite odd quite frankly, how rapidly companies/NHS/local councils tend to pull their fingers out when someone calls and says they're working for the local MP, and are investigating a case on behalf of X, though in fairness MPs tend to go to the top, and to have their calls taken by senior management, so suddenly those working lower down the food chain are motivated to sort issues.

I know of quite a few things that have been resolved that way. Student loan issues, council housing repairs gone wrong, and yes, the odd utility bill mess.

Bigfatpicnic · 30/12/2021 19:00

I worked with someone who had a similar issue years ago. They bought a house with an annexe. Their annexe wasn’t billed for years and years. I can’t remember all the minor details, but he kept details of all the calls, letters and any contact he made with the utility companies in a big box.
Eventually he was presented with a huge bill, which he then negotiated down to an agreed price after a lot of backwards and forward calls, paid it and all was fine.

All the notes and correspondence he had kept definitely helped him twist their arm when it came to reducing the bill as he kept mentioning taking it to the regulator for their incompetence.
You definitely won’t go to prison, but do keep all details of correspondence.

Gemster19 · 30/12/2021 19:02

@Jamesmouse

Complete and utter hysterionics. Since when did anyone go to jail over an electric bill because a solicitor did not do a basic job. Will never come on Mumsnet again as its a joke with posts allowed like that.
I think refusing to come on Mumsnet ever again on the basis of a thread which you could have chosen not to read, let alone to comment on multiple times, is the definition of histrionics...
Tigger1895 · 30/12/2021 19:21

Did you use a solicitor in the exchange. They must have details of they previous owner. Also it would appear they didn’t do a full search on the property

Alcemeg · 30/12/2021 19:31

Congratulations, OP! Now is the time to rub your hands together with glee and set up a bitcoin mining operation from your shed. You might as well cultivate cannabis in the attic while you're at it!