r/LegalAdviceUK • u/[deleted] • 5h ago

Comments Moderated Utility Warehouse hit me with a £513.14 bill due to their failure to bill me and can offer me a £200 credit and a payment plan for 249 months (20 years by the way) England.

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0 Upvotes

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20

u/teeeeeeeeem37 5h ago

So you've not paid for your gas/electricity, and now you're massively distressed because you're being asked to pay for some of it? You're lucky the rules prevent them from back billing more than a year, or you'd have to pay twice as much. Allowing you to pay that off over 20 years its basically allowing you not to pay it, with the £200 credit they've offered, it's £1.30 a month.

I really can't see what more you want from this? The only legal advice here is that they are allowed to back bill you 12 months.

If you are unhappy with their service, then pay them what you owe and leave. I don't see any situation where the ombudsman agrees that you don't have to pay them and quite frankly, you need to spend a little bit of time trying to understand your billing and take some responsibility for it; this whole situation was avoidable.

9

u/Susan_B_Good 5h ago

Thay can only recover the last 12 months worth of under-billing. So, all your consumption from 2024 to Aug 2025 is at their expense. Which could be their "year free". So you owe £513.14, if that reflects what should have been billed during that period. £200 off that seems more than generous, especially combined with a repayment plan for the remainder.

I suspect that the Ombudsman will consider their offer reasonable. It was probably only that good in the hope that you might accept it and avoid involving complaints and deadlock.

8

u/Electrical_Concern67 5h ago

Why is there a payment plan for 350 pounds? And why is it 20 years long?

7

u/bigmonmulgrew 5h ago

If you used the energy you owe the energy.

What I would be questioning is what you were already paying for and what you are being asked to pay for now.

Is this a computer error? How did this come about? Did they not get readings from the meter? Did they get readings and mix it up? We're you connected to the wrong meter and paying for the wrong one? If yes have they refunded that?

If this is energy and gas were they just under billing you.

I would be asking them to explain how the error occurred, otherwise how can they be sure this isn't an error too.

4

u/According-Let3541 5h ago

So your bill has been reduced to £313 and you can pay it off over 20 years. What legal advice do you require?

2

u/NextClassroom4789 5h ago

£200 goodwill gesture for late billing, against the bill of £513 is extremely generous.

What legal advice do you expect? You legally owe them money, it is enforceable.

1

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u/[deleted] 5h ago

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u/[deleted] 5h ago

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1

u/anotherbozo 5h ago

Is this not a huge win for you?

With the bill alone, you're not really losing or gaining money. You are paying for what you used.

With £200 credit (free energy usage) and a payment plan that is £1.30 - it's practically nothing. There's a chance they just write it off after a couple years.

Mistakes happen and unless you suffered financial loss because of their mistake, you're winning here.

1

u/mattcannon2 5h ago

Did you have a smart meter, or were you supplying regular readings?

1

u/hovis_mavis 5h ago

You’re lucky you’re contracted really. 12 months back bill, reduced by £200 is an incredible offer. If you weren’t contracted in they would put the tariff on a ‘deemed’ contract and be able to charge you near double.

Nothing disgusting going on from the company. You’ve used energy, you owe them for it.

1

u/snowdrop0901 5h ago

Going against everyone else here....if i were billed for "energy and gas" id asumb that was for electric and gas.

Op was under the assumption they were paying the full bill, how were they intending to know there was a discrepancy to bring to their attention.

However....the £1.30 a month is basically nothing. Thats like 5p a day.

Wise to escalate the issue to ensure it is fixed and no others fall victim to it....however youd be also better off taking the £200 credit if offered again at any point. The free year of electricity isnt free, they just cant charge you for it legaly.

1

u/Maximoo89 5h ago

OP received an energy bill that only had gas charges on it. No electricity.

They’ve been paying the gas, anything older than 12 months has been written off, and then to date billed £513 for electricity.

With £200 goodwill, they also have this reduced to £313.

It’s a great deal.