Worried I will end up in prison!

[isitfree]

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?

If you do want to have a supplier can you not just pick one and try and change your supply to them? Will they accept you as a new customer?

In your shoes I would contact the network, rather than the electricity suppliers themselves.

www.energynetworks.org/operating-the-networks/whos-my-network-operator

Put all communication in writing via email as phone calls will be hard to prove.

Maybe contact the CAB?

@AnneElliott

If you do want to have a supplier can you not just pick one and try and change your supply to them? Will they accept you as a new customer?

Can not switch as they need to know who I am with at the moment and I have no idea

You won't go to prison, you need to contact the regional distributor of electricity you can find this here, you will only be liable for the electricity you have used since you bought your house, there will be a meter serial number on your meter, together with your MPAN number and find out who supplies you, because someone supplies you, also these companies should help not hinder. If you don't get anywhere with that contac OFGEM and they will help you too. I used to work in business energy. And I've had this a couple of times, please don't worry. It is fixable, chances are, is that the supply is hooked up as a business account or even the same account as the streetlights, it'll be something silly like that. If it's a private build, and business built it, it would have been registered to a business account, and the bills go to the business. Instead of the supply address.

www.energynetworks.org/operating-the-networks/whos-my-network-operator

[quote violetbunny]In your shoes I would contact the network, rather than the electricity suppliers themselves.

www.energynetworks.org/operating-the-networks/whos-my-network-operator[/quote]
Did that and they do not know

Well lucky you!

And this is what I’ve never understood about changing suppliers. The electricity comes in to your house regardless of who is supplying it.

Ignore my username, was using it on another thread. Same happened to my friend who bought a new build. She lived there 7 years without a utility bill. Mistakes are made.

its so stupid. Whenever I call anyone I tell them that my property has electric and not one penny has been paid in 13 years. They reply, Well its not us so can not help sorry

If it was a self build, is the electric supply coming from a nearby property?

The meter itself will say on it who it is owned by. Can you have a look at it and see? you could also try putting in your post code here www.ssen.co.uk/Home/ (near the bottom where it says are we your distributor) it will likely come up with who owns the meter, and they will be able to tell you who the supplier is, or if there has never been a supplier there.

I've had a company take over my electric before when I hadn't asked them to. The first I knew was when my current company contacted me to say sorry you're leaving - we've been informed by x company you are moving to them

• so they definitely don't need you to tell them. Have you tried to get say eon to take over your account? Surely you just need meter numbers and reads

@Danikm151

If it was a self build, is the electric supply coming from a nearby property?

No chance we are about 1/2 mile from next property.

If it makes you feel better, look up average energy bills and put that aside along with all correspondence just in case the worse happens just to put your mind at ease.

However, I suspect the worse that can happen is that they finally realise their error and start billing you - probably with an apology. You have done all you can and done nothing wrong. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO PRISON

My step father had a very similar situation. Something weird about his address. No one would send him a gas bill. 15 years that went on - him panicking and calling all and sundry. The only time it got sorted was when he passed on and brother took it on and got it reconnected under a different name - even held the will up for a while as we were convinced there was a power company creditor somewhere. But in all honesty they couldn’t give a shiit. I was on one of the calls, it was literally too much hassle for them to deal with - and that’s 15 years!

You’ve done all you can. In fact they probably owe you for the stress.

Sounds like the previous owners have tapped into someone else's supply . I mean your getting electric from somewhere , if you haven't paid or had a bill for the whole time you've lived there then something isn't right.

Have you spoke to neighbours?

Was nothing noted about gas or electric when you moved in ?
What about your gas bill ? Who do you pay that to ?

@liveforsummer

I've had a company take over my electric before when I hadn't asked them to. The first I knew was when my current company contacted me to say sorry you're leaving - we've been informed by x company you are moving to them

• so they definitely don't need you to tell them. Have you tried to get say eon to take over your account? Surely you just need meter numbers and reads

I have been trying for 3 years! I have phoned, written and emailed everyone and everywhere to the point I gave up. Its totally mad!

@Sorrynotsorry2

Sounds like the previous owners have tapped into someone else's supply . I mean your getting electric from somewhere , if you haven't paid or had a bill for the whole time you've lived there then something isn't right.

Have you spoke to neighbours?

Was nothing noted about gas or electric when you moved in ?
What about your gas bill ? Who do you pay that to ?

We do not have neighbours and the previous owners just put Scottish Power as supplier but who checks? We did'nt. We do not have gas as very rural. It previous owner had tapped into somewhere else it would be half a mile away and the amount I use added on to their bill would be crazy. Besides I have spoken to nearest neighbour and they pay about £90 a month.

Can you ask the property half a mile from you who supplies their electricity?

I wouldn’t worry about any of the previous time before you lived there, not your problem. You have evidence from when you moved in so you can only be responsible for that time, not before.

I struggled for the first year in our house with paying the water bill. I knew who supplied us and rang many times but it took them a year before they actually sent us a bill!

For your electricity look up the MPAN on your meter, identify the distributor ID, and check that on wiki:

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meter_Point_Administration_Number

www.switch-plan.co.uk/energy-meter/mprn/

Then get the contact number for the distributors MPAS admin service

www.switch-plan.co.uk/moving-house/new-build/new-build-energy/

Failing that the wiki page also shows the UK map for the distribution network

When constructed the electrical installation would have been arranged with the national grid and a supplier, therefore there will be a ‘supplier’ even if they have failed to record it.

@TruJay

Can you ask the property half a mile from you who supplies their electricity?

I wouldn’t worry about any of the previous time before you lived there, not your problem. You have evidence from when you moved in so you can only be responsible for that time, not before.

I struggled for the first year in our house with paying the water bill. I knew who supplied us and rang many times but it took them a year before they actually sent us a bill!

Yes they have Eon I have spoken to them and they do not want to know.

breath

You are not going to prison.

Council tax is sorted that would be the only one. (Unless you are in Wales, non payment of council tax is no longer an imprisonable offence in Wales)

Nobody goes to prison for a civil matter of money owed.

But you don't owe anyone any money 🤷🏻‍♀️

If I were you I'd send an e-mail to the national Grid just confirming that the electricity supply to the property is not registered with a company. After that there isn't much you can do. You don't owe any company any money.

Make sure everything is in writing/text. Don't use the phone - insufficient record of discussions. If nobody is supplying you at least you can't be cut off.

It really needs to be escalated within the network operator to be resolved.

I will get back on it and let you know how I get on. Thank you.

Have you tried www.findmysupplier.energy/ ?

They cannot bill you any charges more than 12 months ago op