Scottish Power chased me for £3,000 but I was billed for TWO houses
WHEN Kath Talbot bought her cottage in Stone, Staffordshire, in January 2022, she couldn't have prepared for the two-year ordeal with her energy bills that was to follow.
Retired Kath, 75, moved from Scottish Power, the existing supplier for the property, to Octopus Energy, her energy company of choice, as soon as she moved in.
An account was quickly set up with Octopus and she started paying the company for her gas and electricity bills without any problems.
That was until she received a huge bill for almost £2,000 from Scottish Power a year later in January 2023.
Kath immediately contacted Scottish Power and told them she had changed suppliers a year ago and didn't owe them any money, even sending copies of her bank statements showing her payments to Octopus as proof.
But after months of back and forth, Scottish Power continued to insist it was in arrears and continued to send increasing bills, culminating in a demand for £2,989.
After a year of this and with no resolution in sight, Kath finally contacted Sun Money and asked us to help liaise with Scottish Power on her behalf.
She said at the time: “I am extremely frustrated and just don't know what else to do.
“I've called, sent emails and spent hours on their chat lines with no success.
“I'm so afraid that I could end up in court, something I really don't have to think about at the age of 75.”
When Sun Money spoke to both companies, it emerged that Kath found herself in an extraordinary – and thankfully rare – situation where she was charged for two separate meters.
When she tried to switch to Octopus Energy two years ago, a 'mix-up' resulted in the wrong energy meter being linked to her account.
This meant that it had effectively been paying the bill for a different address to Octopus Energy since February 4, 2022, while Scottish Power had remained a supplier for its own property.
As a result, she had been indebted to Scottish Power for almost two years, which could have had devastating consequences for her credit rating.
Octopus Energy acknowledged to Sun Money that an “erroneous transfer” had occurred when Kath attempted to transfer to them.
An incorrect transfer occurs when a switch to a new supplier does not proceed correctly or occurs without the customer's permission.
In Kath's case, the transfer did not go smoothly because the incorrect address details were present in the industry database used by energy companies.
So another address was transferred to Octopus Energy and Kath set up a direct debit to pay this bill.
Scottish Power was unaware that it had requested a switch to another provider.
Kath cannot now be moved to Octopus until her debt with Scottish Power has been repaid.
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So to make up for the mix-up, Octopus has credited her account with £2,989 so she can pay off her debt to Scottish Power and start over.
This is more than the £2,650 Kath was actually owed by Octopus Energy for paying for the wrong meter.
Once her account with Scottish Power has been settled, Octopus will arrange the transfer.
A spokesperson for Octopus said: “We are pleased to say that we have spoken to Kath and agreed a resolution with her.
“We will be closely monitoring Kath's account until the transition is complete. Once done, Kath can continue with us.”
Kath said: “I don't think the issue would have been resolved if Sun Money had not been involved. Thank you very much for your help.”
Sun Money has requested that the late payment be removed from Kath's credit file.
Our Squeeze Team has recovered £162,646 for readers so far.
What can I do if I think my energy bill is incorrect?
If you're unhappy with your energy bill, the first thing you need to do is make sure you're paying for the right property.
Please check that the serial number on your energy meter matches the serial number on your account as this is a common cause of mix-ups.
Also make sure you take photos of your meter readings and write them down each time you call your supplier.
It is best to follow up any complaints in writing, placing the word 'complaint' in the subject line of your email or letter.
Check your supplier's website for the correct email or address before shipping.
Energy companies have eight weeks to respond to a complaint with a decision, so don't give them a reason to delay.
If your company does not respond within this period or if you are not satisfied with the response, you can submit your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.
The ombudsman will make a decision based on the evidence provided by you and the company. If you accept this, your supplier has 28 days to comply.
What if my bills were wrong?
If it turns out that you have been wrongly labeled as a debtor, you should ensure that your credit file is not affected.
Ask the company you are dealing with to have any late payments or missed payments removed from your credit file as a matter of urgency.
You can also contact credit agencies and ask them to issue a “notice of correction.”
This is where you make a note on your credit file visible to lenders, explaining the context surrounding any missed payments.
The main credit reporting agencies are Experian, Transunion or Equifax. Go directly to it to add any comments to your credit report.
You can check your credit reports for free by signing up for free with Experian, ClearScore for Equifax, and Credit Karma for Transunion.
Do you have a money problem that needs to be solved? Get in touch by emailing money@the-sun.co.uk.
Moreover, you can join us Sun Money chats and tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories.