Spark Energy Bill

[BotHH]

While at Uni I rented a flat for 6 months,

the provider who was in the flat was Spark Energy,

 

I never got around to getting my own provider and stuck with them.

 

I called and asked them a few times to put in a prepaid meter but they never did,

while waiting on these meters they never asked for payment,

but I didnt want to set up a direct debit until they gave me a meter.

 

They did post bills which i called them about, they were using estimates,

I'm pretty sure just what the previous occupants were using.

 

The previous occupants was a couple and their child whereas it was just me in the flat.

 

For six months the estimated bill was £510.

 

I lost my first meter reading when I moved in,

and never got the second as my lease ended when I was home for christmas

and my friend moved my things for me, forgetting to take a reading. I

 

asked the landlord for it but we had a dispute regarding my deposit

which he took for "cleaning" and "redecorating" and he hasnt replied.

 

It works out at £85 a month for electricity alone which seems ridiculous to me.

 

They've passed my debt to Buchanan Clark and Wells

who are now hounding me for it,

 

its now at £586 (which must be their admin fee).

 

Also Freidricksons International has been sending me texts too, would they also have it?

 

Any advice on how to proceed on this matter would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

[BotHH]

BUMP,

 

Have I posted in the wrong section? should this be in Debt Collection?

[Surfer01]

Pity you don't have readings as Spark Energy will quite correctly go on historical data in calculating the bill. This may be difficult to contest and not sure of what advice I can offer except to say probably best to pay and learn from the unfortunate experience.

[nottslad]

if you haven't been able to provide meter reads, they will, as Surfer says, use previous consumption to estimate and what is known as the Estimated Annual Consumption for the supply point.

 

Without meter reads, you can't really dispute the estimate.