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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

British Gas backbill

103 replies

Ryderneedsus · 17/03/2022 11:21

I sold a house on the 18th of March 2021
We received a refund cheque of £30 in April 2021 for a credit on the electricity account.
On the 14th of March 2022 we were sent a bill for £667 for unpaid electricity.
British Gas are insisting we pay this. We have had no correspondence from them before this. It sounds wrong.

OP posts:
FloraPostePosts · 17/03/2022 11:27

Does the bill match your meter reading on the day you moved out? Or has more electricity been used since then? Is the bill for a period after you moved out?

Why are they insisting you pay this bill when they’ve already settled the account with you?

OccultGnuAsWell · 17/03/2022 11:27

Speak to the Citizen's Advice people and see what they advise. They were very helpful when a friend of mine had an issue with a smart meter and a £3000 bill.

dementedpixie · 17/03/2022 11:30

Does the bill detail the dates and the meter readings that the amount relates to?

LampLighter414 · 17/03/2022 11:30

Did you take meter readings when you moved out and supplied to British gas ahead of receiving your refund cheque? And if so did the bill with the refund cheque reflect the final readings you had supplied?

Original poster
Ryderneedsus · 17/03/2022 11:31

There is no breakdown of what the bill is for. Just a demand for £677 and a threat to take it to debt collection. I spoke to BG and they apologised for not having sent a bill in the last 11 month and 3 weeks.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 17/03/2022 11:32

Ask them to supply the dates and meter readings the amount relates to. I wouldn't be paying it without more information

abigailsnan · 17/03/2022 11:32

Did you send them a meter reading on day of completion ? It sounds as though the owners have not registered themselves as the new owners.

Original poster
Ryderneedsus · 17/03/2022 11:32

The cheque did not come with a final statement. I sent meter readings on the last day.

OP posts:
FloraPostePosts · 17/03/2022 11:34

@abigailsnan

Did you send them a meter reading on day of completion ? It sounds as though the owners have not registered themselves as the new owners.
This sounds to me the most likely scenario. I think they have to tell you how that bill is broken down.
CoffeeBeansGalore · 17/03/2022 11:35

Keep arguing for a full bill breakdown.
Years ago British Gas sent a couple a bill for £50k when a gas leak blew up their house. (They obviously didn't pay & BG drew back the bill in the end).
If a company will do this it doesn't say much!

Chely · 17/03/2022 11:38

You need a breakdown of the charges to know if it is valid or not. If you gave them a forwarding address then they have been pretty crap.

Original poster
Ryderneedsus · 17/03/2022 11:39

They had our forwarding address, it is where they sent the refund cheque to.

OP posts:
RockyRoadster · 17/03/2022 11:40

@Ryderneedsus

There is no breakdown of what the bill is for. Just a demand for £677 and a threat to take it to debt collection. I spoke to BG and they apologised for not having sent a bill in the last 11 month and 3 weeks.
If you sold the house in March 2021, then you are not responsible for the last 11 months 3 weeks. You need to speak to BG again and stress that to them. Good luck.
amusedbush · 17/03/2022 11:42

I assume you have concrete evidence of when you sold the house and when you moved into your new address - surely that would be enough to prove that it's no longer your responsibility?

Original poster
Ryderneedsus · 17/03/2022 12:19

I have phoned them again and they (unfortunately seemingly correctly) state that we have not paid for electricity at all between 2011 and 2021. I assumed that our monthly payments to BG covered gas and electricity. However Tomorrow will mark 12 months since we sold the house and they have still not issued a usage bill. Just a demand for £677. Legally, not morally, do I have to pay?

OP posts:
BambinaJAS · 17/03/2022 12:22

@Ryderneedsus

I have phoned them again and they (unfortunately seemingly correctly) state that we have not paid for electricity at all between 2011 and 2021. I assumed that our monthly payments to BG covered gas and electricity. However Tomorrow will mark 12 months since we sold the house and they have still not issued a usage bill. Just a demand for £677. Legally, not morally, do I have to pay?
Is that a typo: between 2011 and 2021?
dementedpixie · 17/03/2022 12:23

What time period does the bill cover?
I thought they couldn't back bill further than 1 year

dementedpixie · 17/03/2022 12:24

I assume you gave both gas and electric readings during that 10 year period. Why did it take so long for them to flag it up?

Mamamia7962 · 17/03/2022 12:26

Bit confused, but are you saying that for 11 months before you moved your DD was for gas only. What did your online bills say for those 11 months? How did you pay your bills prior to those 11 months?

youdoyoutoday · 17/03/2022 12:31

So BG are saying for a 10 year period you owe £667 for used electricity?

How much were you paying monthly during that time and how often did you supply meter readings?

This really doesn't sound right.

This might help you

www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/check-energy-back-billing-rules

Original poster
Ryderneedsus · 17/03/2022 12:33

They are saying we didn’t pay for 10 years and they are only billing us for the last year. However as we always allows meter readings and assumed we were paying and we have still not had a proper bill (tomorrow is the 12 months since we left) do we have to pay?

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 17/03/2022 12:34

How much were you paying towards your gas/electric bills when you lived there? Do you have access to the previous bills to see whether they were for both?

PiffleWiffleWoozle · 17/03/2022 12:42

I would go and see citizens advice with all the paperwork you have - they should be able to help you

BambinaJAS · 17/03/2022 12:48

They are allowed to bill you up to a year back.

But 10 years of no bills?

That is just bizarre. I would ask for proof about this.

youdoyoutoday · 17/03/2022 12:48

Based on the back bill rule, you would owe for 4 days of electricity.