Thankyou for your excellent response I can easily sort two readings out, I have one from when the bill came and then I can take another tonight. Yes I have read through the billing code, its been very useful and hence why Im disputing the bill really. I have a couple of questions Im afraid ! Do I need to contact the ombudsman ? I dont really understand what they are or what they do ? If they have not visited the property to read the meters in an 18months-2yrs period they are deemed to be irresponsible suppliers. Where does this come from ? its a bit different to anything written in the billing code ? I/we are tenants, the landlord (or rather his agent) has responded to Eon with the only two contracts that have ever been produced for the house, which has about 8 names on it, I got sent a copy of his response. There are no forwarding addresses available for them, I could get in touch with some of them but not all of them. Can the landlord be held responsible for any of the outstanding balance ? *note I do not want this to happen. I'll be writing yet another letter tonight by the sounds of it

Crikey, this thread really generated some interest. I am sort of reluctant to post on here due to the high number of Eon employees that seem to lurk, whether they would be able to work out who I am or whether it even matters, I am not sure (?) perhaps even some of those on here that claim to be customers are in fact eon employees, looking to gain insight into current cases !?? I have no idea if cases like mine are common or rare so Im not sure of it would be easy for an eon rep to work out who I am or again, if it even matters ??? either way it may be best if I limit the detail I give. Perhaps it may even help my case if they work out who I am and then realise how determined I am and that I have access to the sort of amazing advice and support that can be gained through this website ?? I've learned a heck of a lot. Either way, to clear a few things up: I have been very busy over the last few months trying to sort this saga out. I contaced them (yes a few years after we moved in) and I gave them readings - but no bill came. 6 years later a bill was recieved, addressed to me, I am not sure how they got my name, I assume 192.com or some other info database. I gave them genuine readings almost straight away as I saw no point in using estimates. I requested all info about the account and me. They have not tried to contact us or visit the house in all that time, I now have evidence (?) I have been trying to sort it out for months now with letters and phone calls. I contacted energywatch or whatever they are called now, so it is recorded as an official complaint etc Eon are very keen to get the dispute resolved (as am I/we). My/our case has been passed to a slightly more hard-talking rep. I guess eon want it sorted because this 9 month period is approaching that HP Mum's post has mentioned. It's interesting to read her case as it is very similar to my own. After much discussion and various things happening and for other reasons I probably wont disclose on here, they have sent a revised and reduced bill (now below £10k) but it still covers the last 6 years. As you all understand we/I have not tried to contact them since I supplied readings, technically there are about 12 of us liable for this whole period. I was unaware of the billing code until the bill came and we all started to look on the net for this sort of situation. Worst thing is, I am (believe it or not) a generally respectable person with a professional day job so I would actually take the side of mattlamb in all this...if it wasn't me facing a huge bill ! But I am facing a huge bill so I will try and seek to pay as little as possible and as the law allows etc and I'm actually enjoying the 'battle' and war of words to get there. I'm sure my attitude will annoy a few people but there's no point in pretending. Ulitmately the solution I seek is a 12 month backdated bill, as HP Mum got. I would like to know more about the Ombudsman 9 month thing, can anyone supply more info or a rough summary of what it means and if it is applicable in this case ?

Thanks for the help guys. The estimated usage is under by quite a lot.

It's actually more than £10k I am ashamed to say I am a freeloader...I live in a shared house, I've been here for over 8 years, other tenants/sharers have come and gone. We have never had any electricity bill. We have no gas so everything runs using the electric; cooker, water heater, heating etc we have lived in ignorant bliss with our 'free' electricty all this time. A few years after we moved in I actually called them and gave them readings over the phone after receiving a meter reading card. No bill came and we've never had any visits or any correspondence since, so we have continued to live with the free electricity. Having mentioned this to a few people over the years, we believed we were 'off the record' or had slipped 'under the radar' whatever you want to call it, so never really talked about it. Recently someone from our apparent provider tried to call and take a reading, none of us were in so they couldnt take one, a neighbour spoke to them and pleaded ignorance about us, they are unaware that we have had no bills. Then the bill arrived a couple of days ago with my name on it and only my name, I have no idea how they got my name I have never given them it ? It estimates 6 years of electricity useage, stemming from the reading several years ago, they are quite a way out with their estimate. I'm not looking for a flaming and I'm quite aware that I/we should have done something about this some time ago, but I'm afraid we didn't. Why would we give up free electricity ? Given that we gave a reading a long time ago and they have never, EVER, sent a bill or asked us to provide a reading since, what are the chances of them only charging for the last year as per the Billing Code with which I have now become familiar ? What should I/we do ?