Electricity charges refunded by mistake, now demanded back - please help!!!

[sashas]

Hi, I need urgent advice on the following situation, please help:

In April 2009 I moved out of a rented property. Before moving out, I gave final meter reading to the electricity supplier, received the final bill and paid it. Though I moved out, I was still collecting some mail at the old address.

About 6 months later, I received a letter from the electricity supplier addressed to me (at the old address). The letter was saying that I overpaid electricity charges and my account is £800 in credit. The letter was asking me to contact them, so that a check can be issued.

I contacted the supplier and accepted the check, asked them to send it to my new address. I did not go into details as to what charges in particular I overpaid, was just happy to receive this large amount.

Some months later, I received a letter to my new address from LCS (debt collection), demanding the settlement of a debt of around £1000. The amount was made up of £800 refunded and admin charge. There was no previous correspondence from the electricity supplier on this matter - straight from DCA!

After months of correspondence between me and the electricity supplier, the supplier has admitted that the credit was issued by their mistake. But now they are demanding immediate repayment and threatening me with enforcement action.

I don’t mind paying the amount back, but not immediately. Also I understand that if it was the supplier’s mistake, they should not threaten me.

Please advise what rights I have in this case and what enforcement action can the supplier take. At my new property, the electricity is with the same supplier, but the contract is on my wife’s name.

All responses would be highly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

[magicmart123]

I would think in this instance, at the very least, the supplier in question should give you time to pay or set up an instalment plan. Being as it was their clerical error in the first place and to all intents and purposes you believe you were entitled to it as it was they who said you were after receiving your final meter reading. I would bypass the DCA completely and speak with the supplier and explain that if the money from their error has to be paid back then you will gladly pay them by instalments and not the DCA who will slap on fees or con you into signing things...these people are unscrupulous liars who profit from other people's misery.

 

I don't know if any of this advice will be of any use to you but there will no doubt be more people on here who can perhaps give more info on this.

 

Kind regards and good luck

[sashas]

Dear magicmart123. Many thanks for your advice, all comments are invaluable in my situation, as I am completely lost and don't know what to do. Read lots of other threads, could not find anyone in the same situation. So, thanks again. If anyone else has some advice, would greatly appreciiate it.

[magicmart123]

Dear magicmart123. Many thanks for your advice, all comments are invaluable in my situation, as I am completely lost and don't know what to do. Read lots of other threads, could not find anyone in the same situation. So, thanks again. If anyone else has some advice, would greatly appreciiate it.

 

Your thanks is gratefully received...I am only sorry that I couldn't be of more assistance. I wouldn't hold your breath for help on here though...This forum is a shadow of it's former self and now rather puzzlingly populated by more than a few unhelpful people who seem to delight in petty squabbles about forum rules or some other trivial infraction...I always marvel at those who waste time on such negativity...It's hardly the spirit that this forum was created in.

 

If you don't believe me, just watch the backlash that this genuine observation provokes from these aforementioned unhelpful people. I wish you every success in the resolution of your query but I am not very confident that you will find the help you need on here...which is a pity...As I mentioned in my thread which still remains unanswered after nearly 9 hours...there are a lot of folk who will expend a lot of negativity going against the spirit of this forum. I've had threads hijacked by such people and it never ceases to amaze me the effort they put in to be unhelpful. A sad sign of the times. There are probably half a dozen moderators viewing this now to ensure I've remained within forum rules...I mean really...get a life people...and start helping your fellow man. Best of luck