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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I haven’t paid for any gas for 3 years. How to get out of it?

247 replies

Gastheif · 30/08/2022 10:16

I know I have been unreasonable, looking for advice.
had a smart meter fitted 3 years ago since then and despite the company sending out meter readers all bills I have received for gas say £0 usage.
I want to get out of this situation, ideally without having to pay it back and before the price hikes mean that I may have a debt I can’t even afford, also before government help starts.
if I switch supplier, do you think this will fix itself?
WWYD?

OP posts:
SpiderinaWingMirror · 30/08/2022 10:47

You are not alone. I had the same for 5 years. In the end we moved and still never got a bill.

Saladd0dger · 30/08/2022 10:48

My friend has this problem with her electric meter. She kept phoning and phoning and nobody wanted to know. She phoned again in spring and was told she was on a very long waiting list for a repair. Her flat is all electric and it’s probably been 3/4 years she has paid any electric. She swapped from a key meter to a smart meter when she moved in.

MumofSpud · 30/08/2022 10:49

Sunflowergin · 30/08/2022 10:44

Do your bills say actual or estimated? That is important here

Ours say Actual!

FarmerRefuted · 30/08/2022 10:49

Mine say actual too

RedHelenB · 30/08/2022 10:50

Gastheif · 30/08/2022 10:35

Not a wind up and I haven’t posted previously. I didn’t notify them because I’m unreasonable, I thought it would sort itself out and the longer it went on the more anxious I got. I also was aware of back bill rules but thought it was two years, so thanks for that.

so is it not possible to switch atm? I haven’t read meter, smart meter reading is 0 surely actual meter is the same? And no, I haven’t put money aside.

Have you actually rung them up and explained the situation, that you obviously need a new meter?

SerendipityJane · 30/08/2022 10:50

How come people are expected to act morally, but companies aren't ?

#justaskin

ConsuelaHammock · 30/08/2022 10:51

Keep quiet 🤫

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 30/08/2022 10:53

Why do you want to switch supplier? You won't get a better deal, will you?

thatslow · 30/08/2022 10:54

Energy companies aren’t acting morally so I would keep my mouth shut 🤫

Plilywhite · 30/08/2022 10:55

This happened to us but we were a new build. Made several attempts to notify the supplier and but they didn’t want to know. We moved out but still own the flat and it has only recently been rectified after over 5 years. They can only bill up to a year.

Darkness22 · 30/08/2022 10:55

Have you got the money for 12 month's worth?

Imthedamnfoolwhoshothim · 30/08/2022 10:56

I didn't pay Gas for about 6 years as our account was shipperless. The most they can ask for is 1 year so I'd try and save for that and just enjoy it!

goldfinchonthelawn · 30/08/2022 10:56

Is it possible that there was a massive backlog of credit from the previous tenant or owner? When I bought my flat they insisted I pay by Direct Debit at a charge so high that I ended up contesting it and getting two years worth of fuel without another bill because I was so much in credit.

hedgehoglurker · 30/08/2022 10:57

It is strange that it is a smart meter, but they send out readers. Is it dumb and not sending readings? Are you allowing the readers access?

If you are allowing them access for readings, I don't think you are to blame.

Have the company asked you to provide readings yourself? If you have refused and stayed quiet, this would be wrong.

As others have said, if they are not billing you correctly, through no fault of your own, they can only back bill 12 months.

I had a situation where I was faithfully providing readings every month, but the bills were always wrong, as they started at the wrong reading. I had evidence as it was a rental and my inventory had a photo of the reading, but their system wouldn't correct it.

I chased and chased but they dragged it out for 2 years, insisting that I owed them £9k for 2 years of gas! Eventually about 6 months after I moved out, they accepted a fair offer from me, as legally at that point they could only bill for the last 12 months. If they'd continued to drag it out for another 6 months, I'd have legally owed nothing as it would be beyond the 12 months. It was a particularly high bill as the dispute meant I was on their highest tariff and couldn't move or fix. I think I paid £600 in the end, rather than £9k.

They also supplied my electricity, which I of course paid, as it was correctly billed.

ISeeTheLight · 30/08/2022 10:57

We moved into a new build 4 years ago. The builder set us up with Eon. We never received a bill. I contacted them several times about it.
Ended up switching to Bulb after 2 years (so 2 years ago), Bulb set us up correctly from the start. Never got a bill for those 2 years of gas & electric use from Eon.

PauliesWalnuts · 30/08/2022 10:58

I'm in the same boat. I'm in a house that was inherited by me, and at some point the previous occupier had to have a new gas meter - I remember it happening. But, there was no bill amongst their possessions (e-bill only maybe?) and I've checked the internet for my supplier and there isn't one. I've rung around several suppliers but I'm not on any of their books. No idea what to do now.

deeperthanallroses · 30/08/2022 10:58

I hope no one saying it’s ridiculous that the op hasn’t fixed it Is any of those people who turn up on life admin threads and say what are you all whining about all this stuff should take you 10 minutes a week. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is at a minimum several phone calls of 30-90 mins including wait time over a month and two stints of waiting in for half a day before getting another unchanged bill and realising you have to do it again. Getting anything at all sorted feels like a Herculean task some days.

Wingingit15 · 30/08/2022 10:58

OP are you in a newbuild? There may be a shipping line issue where you use gas but no supplier can take responsibility

Imthedamnfoolwhoshothim · 30/08/2022 10:59

Mannymoomin · 30/08/2022 10:25

Well that’s alright then, OP clearly lacks some morals and probably won’t notify their energy company safe in the knowledge that once it is discovered they’ll only have 12 months bill to pay for

Show quote history

Just because you haven't had the luck doesn't mean you should be biter about it :D

Middledazedted · 30/08/2022 11:00

Yeah OP act quickly to make sure your debt isn’t damaging the multibillion profits of these energy companies. Or build up a year’s fund and say nothing. Happened to me once for a couple of years. Was never even asked for the money.

EpicMugs · 30/08/2022 11:00

If they can only bill for 12 months then start putting aside the money you need each month to pay the bill. If they don't notice for another 12 months, you will have the money you owe ready to go.

Each month that goes by, you add that right amount to the savings for that month but can 'take back' any money you saved for months that are more than 1 year ago.

If you ever move, after a further year you will have a whole year' worth of gas money as savings that you can release safely.

Use a high interest savings account and you might even make some money.

Qik · 30/08/2022 11:01

FarmerRefuted · 30/08/2022 10:41

Following too as in the same situation. My electricity meter doesn't count our usage so we'reonly billed standing charge for it, I've contacted the company numerous times and been told an engineer will call, no engineer has ever called. Contacted them again last week and was told engineers aren't doing home visits right now. If they try to back-bill me for 12 months I'm going to fight them on it as I've made efforts to rectify the situation and they've failed to act on it.

Have you made all reasonable efforts though? You could have made payments on account directly into the supplier's customer account. If there is a rule that protects consumers against back billing, it is likely to come with some requirement to have met certain obligations.

Chouetted · 30/08/2022 11:01

This happened to me with my electric - turned out the meter was broken. I genuinely didn't notice, and paid nothing in the end, but you do need to talk to your supplier. The longer it goes on, the worse you're going to feel

SellFridges · 30/08/2022 11:01

We have had something similar, but only for about 9 months last year. I didn’t notice at first as we are dual fuel and much of the period was the summer when our usage is very low anyway.

I reported it after 6 months when I realised our bills were low in winter, after another couple of months they came and fitted a new smart meter (it was already a smart meter) and have never charged me, despite me offering in my initial email. I suspect they have no way of doing so as the meter was broken and was their fault for not noticing before I did.

SellFridges · 30/08/2022 11:02

We do pay by direct debit, and have built up quite a credit, so all efforts made on our side.