The client had switched their energy supplier to ‘Supplier A’ when they moved into their property two years ago. The client started receiving letters 18 months later from a different supplier (‘Supplier B’) who had sent a backdated bill and said they were the client’s current energy supplier.
The client came to us for help and we raised complaints with both energy suppliers. Both suppliers remained adamant they were the current supplier, so we referred the complaints to the Energy Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman concluded that when the client moved into the property the initial switch of supplier was not completed correctly and the client was actually receiving electricity bills from Supplier A for a different property and the bills did not include gas as this was not in fact switched at all. Supplier B had not been sending regular energy bills due to a mix-up when registering the property and the Ombudsman ruled that they could only backdate the bills by 12 months (although Supplier B agreed to reduce this to the date they actually first sent the client the initial backdated bill).
The client received a refund of all payments they made to Supplier A totalling £1,320 plus £100 compensation. Supplier B agreed to write-off the backdated bill of £2,150 and pay compensation of £100. The client was able to pay the adjusted Supplier B bill from the refund they got from Supplier A.
Well done to Scott, our Money Adviser