Hello,

First off - many thanks in anticipation for any advice that anyone will take the time to give me. It will be much appreciated.

Sorry if I sound a bit wound up but none of this is my doing - my energy provider messed up my gas bills and I've had my credit rating destroyed as a result.

I've been with my Gas and Electricity energy provider since February 2015 and they have been a nightmare.

Electricity bills are paid up to date.

Gas account as far as I'm concerned is up to date.

The provider disagrees - they say I owe £290 - including a late payment penalty fee of £10

I have sent them all the documentation and proof via Royal Mail Track and Trace which they received - but they refuse to reply.

I sent the matter to the Energy Ombudsman but they sent me an email saying that they didn't have my file.

The matter started in November 2016 when we noticed that our gas supplier was billing us for an extra meter that had nothing to do with us.

After much correspondence, they acknowledged their mistake and offered us a £45 goodwill payment.

But we said that the amended gas bills were still wrong because they didn't reflect the amounts totalling £240 paid on the account ( we have proof of these payments).

We continued to argue back and forth with our energy provider until the matter became deadlocked and we referred it to Ombudsman who heaven knows did what with our file.

We awaited a reply from the ombudsman.

In the meantime, the energy provider filed six late payment markers against me with Equifax.

The energy provider won't examine the proof of payments that we sent them or remove the late payment markers.

They have also charged me a late payment penalty fee of £10 have sent me threatening letter that they will charge me hundreds of pounds extra for debt collection and change my meter to a prepayment one.

I sent them a Letter Before Court Action three weeks ago via Royal Mail Track and Trace but they've ignored it.

The ombudsman doesn't fill me with confidence.

I want to take this matter to Court and this is what I would like to achieve:

I want the £240 lost payments on account to be reinstated on my account.

I want the six late payment markers removed from my credit file.

I want a written apology for the stress and hassle that this matter has caused me.

I want fair compensation for the stress, hassle that this has caused and the damage to my credit record that I have suffered as a result of the late payment markers.

What's possible and how can I go about it - how much will it cost?

Complain about your gas or electricity bill or supplier | Ofgem

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/.../complain-about-your-gas-or-electricity-bill-or-supplier

If you complained to the energy ombudsman and they failed to investigate, what did they say they required to investigate, did you send them any evidence?

Thanks for your reply.

The Energy Ombudsman never read my file - they said they couldn't find it when I followed them up.

Thanks for your reply.

Is Ofgem the same as the Energy Ombudsman?

Do I have to advise E.ON that I'm going to file that complaint with Ofgem?

Ofgem and the Ombudsman are separate..

And no there is no requirement to tell them you're lodging a formal complaint.

So you've given them the same info that they can't find yes?

Your lba means that you can issue a court claim to recover the missing £240. should you do this and convince a court you are correct, not only will you get the money but they will have little choice other then to correct the credit file entries ( see DURKIN). I woud suspect that if you have the correct paperwork to show the overpayment and their refusal to refund you are home and dry so dont confuse things by asking for the money to be added to your account, treat that as a separate issue. As for the late fees, well you can add them to the clourt claim IF they relate to their debt to you otherwise you ahve to sit tight and let them hang themselves and then start again with the new issue.

Hello,

 

First off - many thanks in anticipation for any advice that anyone will take the time to give me. It will be much appreciated.

 

Sorry if I sound a bit wound up but none of this is my doing - my energy provider messed up my gas bills and I've had my credit rating destroyed as a result.

 

I've been with my Gas and Electricity energy provider since February 2015 and they have been a nightmare.

 

Electricity bills are paid up to date.

 

Gas account as far as I'm concerned is up to date.

 

The provider disagrees - they say I owe £290 - including a late payment penalty fee of £10

 

I have sent them all the documentation and proof via Royal Mail Track and Trace which they received - but they refuse to reply.

 

I sent the matter to the Energy Ombudsman but they sent me an email saying that they didn't have my file.

 

The matter started in November 2016 when we noticed that our gas supplier was billing us for an extra meter that had nothing to do with us.

 

After much correspondence, they acknowledged their mistake and offered us a £45 goodwill payment.

 

But we said that the amended gas bills were still wrong because they didn't reflect the amounts totalling £240 paid on the account ( we have proof of these payments).

 

We continued to argue back and forth with our energy provider until the matter became deadlocked and we referred it to Ombudsman who heaven knows did what with our file.

 

We awaited a reply from the ombudsman.

 

In the meantime, the energy provider filed six late payment markers against me with Equifax.

 

The energy provider won't examine the proof of payments that we sent them or remove the late payment markers.

 

They have also charged me a late payment penalty fee of £10 have sent me threatening letter that they will charge me hundreds of pounds extra for debt collection and change my meter to a prepayment one.

 

I sent them a Letter Before Court Action three weeks ago via Royal Mail Track and Trace but they've ignored it.

 

The ombudsman doesn't fill me with confidence.

 

I want to take this matter to Court and this is what I would like to achieve:

 

I want the £240 lost payments on account to be reinstated on my account.

 

I want the six late payment markers removed from my credit file.

 

I want a written apology for the stress and hassle that this matter has caused me.

 

I want fair compensation for the stress, hassle that this has caused and the damage to my credit record that I have suffered as a result of the late payment markers.

 

What's possible and how can I go about it - how much will it cost?

Thanks for your reply.

 

The Energy Ombudsman never read my file - they said they couldn't find it when I followed them up.

Thanks for your reply.

 

Is Ofgem the same as the Energy Ombudsman?

 

Do I have to advise E.ON that I'm going to file that complaint with Ofgem?

Hello Patch7 and sorry we weren't able to sort this for you. Not sure what's happening with the Energy Ombudsman. I've not come across a case like this before where they've not been able to find our complaint file.

When complaints reach deadlock, we send the customer a Final Resolution Offer letter detailing our final position? This is useful, although not essential where complaints are over 56 days old, when going to the Energy Ombudsman. Once you contact them, they'll give you a reference number and ask us for your case notes. What I don't understand is why they've told you they don't have your file and left it at that. Even if they don't have the file, we'll be happy to re-send it so they can start their investigation. I'd suggest contacting them again and quoting the number they would've originally issued when you spoke to them previously.

You don't need to tell us you're referring this to the Ombudsman. As above, they need to contact us for your case notes. Once they've investigated, they'll report back to both you and us. Whilst their findings are binding on us, they're not on you leaving you free to seek further advice and assistance if necessary.With any complaint that's reached deadlock, if we haven't heard from the Ombudsman after 21 days of the Final Resolution Offer (deadlock) letter, the complaint will be closed and any relevant debt follow up will start. Customers have 12 months from the date of the deadlock letter to go to the Ombudsman. As soon as they do, the Ombudsman will contact us as above. At this point, if previously closed, the complaint will be re-opened and debt follow up will be suspended until they complete their investigation.

As I say, I've not come across this situation before so sorry if I've missed something. Not saying this sort of thing hasn't happened just that I've not personally seen it.

Malc