How far back can my electricity company charge me?
How far back can my electricity company charge me?
12 months
What are the back-billing rules? You can’t be charged for gas or electricity used more than 12 months ago if you have not been correctly billed for it before. Suppliers must make these terms clear in their contract terms and conditions.
What is back billing period?
Back billing happens when an energy company hasn’t billed you correctly in the past for the energy you have used and then sends you a back-bill – also known as a back-dated bill – to recover the outstanding amount. Back-bills include all missed or underpaid charges for the relevant period.
How can I cut my electricity bill back?
8 Free Ways to Cut Energy Costs Now
- Turn off the air or turn up the thermostat. When it’s hot outside, keeping your home cool is a big energy expense.
- Turn off the water.
- Unplug everything.
- Wash large loads.
- Take colder showers.
- Keep windows up while driving on the highway.
- Cook outside.
- Let it air dry.
Can electricity companies cut off your supply?
Gas and electricity companies cannot cut off your supply unless they have first offered you a range of payment methods to help you pay. Electricity suppliers must give you seven working days’ notice in writing that they are going to disconnect your electricity supply because you have not paid your bill.
What are back-billing rules?
Ofgem’s Back-Billing Principle This is known as the Back-Billing Principle, and suppliers must adhere to it. It states: “If your supplier is at fault, it will not seek additional payment for unbilled energy used more than 12 months prior to the error being detected and a corrected bill being issued.”
How long can you backdate your energy bill?
Energy firms can only backdate energy bills for a maximum of 12 months, thanks to regulations introduced by Ofgem in 2019. This was to ensure that customers weren’t put in financial difficulty by energy payments they thought were up to date.
When does an energy supplier have to do back billing?
From 2007, Ofgem requirements state that energy suppliers can no longer try to reconcile incorrect domestic energy charges from more than 12 months ago, if the supplier itself is at fault for not billing the household correctly. This is known as the Back-Billing Principle, and suppliers must adhere to it. It states:
When does Ofgem ban back billing for energy?
Energy regulator Ofgem has announced that from the end of April, no firm will be able to bill customers for energy used more than 12 months ago.
How long can you be charged for back billed electricity?
Under the rules, you can’t be charged for more than six years of back-billed energy charges, even if the company is not at fault. However, Ofgem told us: “Most of the Big Six (British Gas, EDF, E.ON, npower, Scottish Power and SSE) have reduced this to three years, and are looking to reduce it to one year for all instances.”