BES Utilities

[BankFodder]

First of all, it will help us a great deal if you would space your story properly and also punctuate it properly. In the middle of the large block it gets rather garbled and it's really quite difficult to work out what you are saying. This will tend to put people off helping you. Also on a smaller screen a solid block of text is very difficult to read.

I'm still trying to understand exactly what's happened here and it would be helpful if you would repost your story using a bullet pointed chronology without too much narrative and too much commentary please.

It's a shame that you respond to a cold call like this. Particularly from companies like BES. You clearly didn't do any research before you decided to throw your lot in with them – big fail. I suggest that you start looking around the Internet and you'll understand what a mistake you made.

However we can help you – but we'd like to understand the story please

[BankFodder]

Thanks.

Yes if you could put it up in a bullet pointed chronology then it will be easy to understand.

The objective is to understand the contract and the BES failings so that we can challenge the contract and say that they have breached it sufficiently for you to treat it as terminated.

Of course we may not be able to do this – but let's have a look

[BankFodder]

Just now, dx100uk said:

i have made post one somewhat clearer for you

 

dx

 

You're all heart 

[BankFodder]

• So you received a cold call from a broker.
• You have now learned that the broker works for BES. – Did he present himself as an independent? Did he say that he would find you the best service, giving the impression that he was going to look through a range of suppliers?
• They failed to take a closing reading from the previous supplier
• this meant that your new bill was fairly open ended because they assumed a closing reading – is this correct?
• So you received a very large bill that based on an estimated closing reading and also an estimated forecast reading and you are disputing this bill.
• Because of this you cancelled the direct debit because you are worried about the amount of money leaving your account.
• BES then decided that you had left your contract and they charge you a higher rate and a higher standing charge.
   

 

Now I don't understand how Opus comes into it. Were they your previous supplier? Because you referred to BG Lite as your previous supplier.
I don't understand this:
 

Quote

- so they way under estimated the reading to bring mine as excessively high usage and thus landing the big bill

 

You then discover that BES are actually charging you based on your ex tenants meter which in fact is disconnected so that it is not producing any readings at all???
You then started dealing directly with BES on the telephone to try and resolve the problem – but I expect that you haven't recorded your call so you have no evidence of what was said (read our customer services guide – and Pay Attention to It!)
Now I've lost the thread completely – I don't understand how you suddenly only owe them £199.

And I think it would be helpful now if you went over it and explained it more carefully – less narrative and in a bullet pointed chronology.

 

However my immediate advice is to stop dealing with BES on the telephone or at all until we understand the situation.

At the very least, the fact that BES charging you on the wrong meter and also that they failed to take proper readings at the beginning of the contract – and all of that within a very short space of three months – which represents the entire contract. So far, suggest to me that they have fundamentally breached their contract and that this will give you a basis for saying that they have terminated the contract by their breach.

Of course they won't come quietly on this and you will have to litigate that we will help you if you want.

However, I'd really like to understand the whole story first.

Read our customer services guide and implement the advice there in future.

[BankFodder]

By the way, what is the position for changing suppliers with a business energy contract?

Can they block you until your bills are fully satisfied? Or do you have the right to change your supplier regardless as in a consumer contract?

[BankFodder]

I understand that contractually you aren't allowed to leave but can they actually block you in some way?

[BankFodder]

Summary????