In March/April 2015 I signed up with Flow Energy paying by monthly direct debit. When the fixed rate tariff ended I switched to nPower. Flow energy sent a final bill and I assumed the balance had been taken by direct debit and the account closed. This month I returned to Flow as they had the cheapest tariff for me only to find that later this month I will be making my first payment on the new account, but also £138 which was owing on the earlier account from a year ago. Flow have never contacted me in the intervening year and I was unaware of anything owing. Flow were responsible for collecting anything due and in fact there was a payment made in May, after the final bill leading me to believe that everything had been settled. In an a guide by Uswitch "Regulations from Ofgem ban gas and electricity suppliers from charging customers for energy used more than 12 months previous, if the error in billing is the supplier’s." Perhaps this is not back-billing in the usual sense, but the money demanded is for electricity I used over a year ago and the error in not collecting it was Flow's. If anyone can help, I need advice on whether I should pay.

Thanks ErikaPNP She is going to phone them again tomorrow, but if they are still unwilling to help she will contact CAB and only cancel the direct debit as a last resort.

ErikaPNP She's already done that and was told that it had to be repaid, before the next billing period starts in April. Is she within her rights to cancel the direct debit to prevent the payment being taken while they sort out a payment plan with the council tax department. She has two young children. If it was just her and her husband they would move in with us to save money, but my grandson is at a special school and so cannot reasonably leave the area.

ErikaPNP I think it's the council tax department as that is who my daughter has a direct debit set up with and the latest communication was described as an invoice, although the initial breakdown of overpayments of both council tax benefit and housing benefit overpayments I think came from the benefits department. Does this make a difference? I can contact her to find out.

My daughter and her husband have recently been informed that they have been overpaid council tax benefit by around £1100. With only two months left to make payments this year they have been told that two payments each of £550 will be taken by direct debit from their bank account. This will force them into a severe and costly overdraft worsening the situation as they have also to repay a £2500 overpayment of housing benefit. They are desperately tring to improve the situation by making cuts in their expenditure (cancelling satellite tv, selling goods on ebay etc). They are perfectly willing to pay back all the money, but need to be able to do so in an affordable way. Does anyone know whether they can prevent the two payments being taken while they sort themselves out? The local benefits people have told them these payments have to be made.

Hi everyone. Have just fallen foul of my banks excessive charges. The have written to me to inform me that they intend to charge me 2 X £30 for making 2 payments whilst I was overdrawn over my limit plus £28 monthly overdraft fee. The overdraft was just over £50, the charges will be £88. Something not quite right there, especially as the overdraft was paid off after 2 days. Does anyone know of a letter template I can use before the charges are applied (in 4 days time) rather than trying to reclaim them later. Thanks