A years worth of energy bills in one month 😅

[EmmaS]

Hi everyone, just looking for some advice!

I took out a years energy contract with Pozitive Energy through a broker for my small bakery business.

After 3 months of adding meter reading to their ‘online portal’ I was concerned that I hadn’t yet received a bill. I contact PE and my broker who both replied “be patient, bills are being generated. Another 3 months passed and still nothing and no responses to my emails or portal messages. I even tried to switch providers to Octopus energy but when I gave my MPAN number they told me that the meter was ‘de-energised’ and that I’d have to get it energised to be able to switch.

Fast forward to this month (and the end of my contract) and Pozitive Energy have seemingly been bought out or upgraded their website/payment portal and I’ve been sent a years worth of invoices with full payment being demanded now. I’ve asked if I can set up a payment plan but to be honest the monthly payment is too much for me on top of the electricity bill from a new provider.

I feel like my business will be put in jeopardy due to Pozitive Energy’s incompetence and I’m not willing to put everything else at risk so I can pay £500+ a month to a cr*p energy company.

I was going to complain to OFGEM but as they’re funded by energy companies themselves I’m not sure they’re much point. Does anyone have any advice at all?

Thank you in advance ◡̈

 

[Ozzy]

This is likely to make a difference, are you trading as a sole trader or as a Limited company?

Also tagging @NickGrogan who may be able to comment too.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Emma,

sorry to hear of your plight.

What have you done with the money you put aside to pay the bills, when they were due to arrive?

 

[EmmaS]

This is likely to make a difference, are you trading as a sole trader or as a Limited company?

Also tagging @NickGrogan who may be able to comment too.

A limited company

 

[EmmaS]

Emma,

sorry to hear of your plight.

What have you done with the money you put aside to pay the bills, when they were due to arrive?

I have about half of it but my problem is that £200 a month in electricity was more manageable for me than the £2500+ that’s owed as a lump sum

 

[Ozzy]

What have you done with the money you put aside to pay the bills, when they were due to arrive?

Hindsight is great an' all, and I think it's safe and fair to assume that there isn't anything put aside.

A limited company

In which case the debt is solely the Limited company's and not yours, and assuming you did not sign any personal guarantee (worth checking) and if the company really cannot afford to pay this bill and keep the business afloat you may need to consider winding the Limited company up.

Perhaps advising the previous supplier of this to negotiate more manageable payment terms.
Yes, it would still be worth raising this with OFGEM but generally speaking Limited Companies have no rights.

 

[Stephen Ball]

There would be no point in raising this to Ofgem, because they don't handle complaints about energy suppliers from businesses.

What you would need to do is:
- formally complain to PE, asking for a resolution of the issue to be a payment of £200 per month which is affordable.
- PE will then either agree to this, or reject it. If they reject, you can ask them for a 'deadlock' letter. This is important.
- once you have the deadlock letter, you can raise your complaint via the Energy Ombudsman. Detail in your complaint all the correspondence you had with PE chasing the bills.
- If the Energy Ombudsman takes your side, or you agree a mutually agreed alternative, PE MUST abide by it.

From your previous post - it reads as though you have also now switched suppliers. Is that correct? If so, did the 'de-energised' supply sort itself out? This also crucial - because if PE are no longer your supplier, they cannot cut you off - and so will know that negotiation is the best way to resolve the issue. i.e. - if they aren't your supplier, they know they can't threaten to cut you off in order to incentivise payment in full.

 

[lja 27]

Hi everyone, just looking for some advice!

I took out a years energy contract with Pozitive Energy through a broker for my small bakery business.

After 3 months of adding meter reading to their ‘online portal’ I was concerned that I hadn’t yet received a bill. I contact PE and my broker who both replied “be patient, bills are being generated. Another 3 months passed and still nothing and no responses to my emails or portal messages. I even tried to switch providers to Octopus energy but when I gave my MPAN number they told me that the meter was ‘de-energised’ and that I’d have to get it energised to be able to switch.

Fast forward to this month (and the end of my contract) and Pozitive Energy have seemingly been bought out or upgraded their website/payment portal and I’ve been sent a years worth of invoices with full payment being demanded now. I’ve asked if I can set up a payment plan but to be honest the monthly payment is too much for me on top of the electricity bill from a new provider.

I feel like my business will be put in jeopardy due to Pozitive Energy’s incompetence and I’m not willing to put everything else at risk so I can pay £500+ a month to a cr*p energy company.

I was going to complain to OFGEM but as they’re funded by energy companies themselves I’m not sure they’re much point. Does anyone have any advice at all?

Thank you in advance ◡̈

Hi Emma. I'm just curious if you came to a resolution with this as I am in a very similar situation with Positive Energy where they didn't generate bills for over a year and have slapped me with a huge bill on deemed prices

 

[EmmaS]

Hi Emma. I'm just curious if you came to a resolution with this as I am in a very similar situation with Positive Energy where they didn't generate bills for over a year and have slapped me with a huge bill on deemed prices

I’m so sorry to hear that; they are without a doubt one of the worst energy companies going. There was no real resolution to be honest, I managed to get £400 in late fees removed from my final bill but was forced to pay as they wouldn’t give up control of the meter so that I could switch suppliers. They had me between a rock and a hard place!
Have you been on seemed prices because you didn’t know who the supplier was or just out of contract?

 

[lja 27]

I’m so sorry to hear that; they are without a doubt one of the worst energy companies going. There was no real resolution to be honest, I managed to get £400 in late fees removed from my final bill but was forced to pay as they wouldn’t give up control of the meter so that I could switch suppliers. They had me between a rock and a hard place!
Have you been on seemed prices because you didn’t know who the supplier was or just out of contract?

I have a contract which I have sent them multiple times to prove that I have been billed incorrectly but then I get so far with emails and then I hear absolutely nothing and then weeks later I get an email from someone completely different and have to go through it all again as there seems to be zero communication amongst their employees. The cycle just repeats itself! It's a nightmare. Then I get a threatening email about having to pay and I reply again explaining the situation. It's causing me so much stress!



Did you manage to arrange a payment plan? Or did you have to pay in full

 

[EmmaS]

I have a contract which I have sent them multiple times to prove that I have been billed incorrectly but then I get so far with emails and then I hear absolutely nothing and then weeks later I get an email from someone completely different and have to go through it all again as there seems to be zero communication amongst their employees. The cycle just repeats itself! It's a nightmare. Then I get a threatening email about having to pay and I reply again explaining the situation. It's causing me so much stress!



Did you manage to arrange a payment plan? Or did you have to pay in full

I know exactly what you’re talking about, when they actually understand what you’re saying they’re either completely unaware or ignorant to your complaint. If I didn’t need electricity to my business premises I would’ve stuck it out and not paid but I couldn’t risk stopping trade if I’d been disconnected (which they were threatening) I was interested to see how far they took it/if they got debt collectors involved!
They did offer me a payment plan which was actually manageable but I stuck it all on a credit card because I didn’t want to be tied to paying them AND a new supplier simultaneously. I run a bakery so we use a lot of electric and I can’t afford £800+ a month!

Definitely demand a payment plan if you haven’t been offered it. If you want to buy yourself some time I think filing a formal complaint means everything gets stopped while they investigate (and inevitably do nothing!)

 

[lja 27]

I know exactly what you’re talking about, when they actually understand what you’re saying they’re either completely unaware or ignorant to your complaint. If I didn’t need electricity to my business premises I would’ve stuck it out and not paid but I couldn’t risk stopping trade if I’d been disconnected (which they were threatening) I was interested to see how far they took it/if they got debt collectors involved!
They did offer me a payment plan which was actually manageable but I stuck it all on a credit card because I didn’t want to be tied to paying them AND a new supplier simultaneously. I run a bakery so we use a lot of electric and I can’t afford £800+ a month!

Definitely demand a payment plan if you haven’t been offered it. If you want to buy yourself some time I think filing a formal complaint means everything gets stopped while they investigate (and inevitably do nothing!)

Thank you. I hope I can get a resolution for it all. It seems they have an employed a new person for "debt resolution" so I'm hoping she might actually be helpful and understanding as I'm only in this position because of their incompetence

 

[japancool]

I have about half of it but my problem is that £200 a month in electricity was more manageable for me than the £2500+ that’s owed as a lump sum

How many months are they billing you for? 12 months, or longer?

And have they sent you an accurate bill showing your usage?

 

[japancool]

I think I replied to the wrong person...

 

[lja 27]

I think I replied to the wrong person...

It's over a years worth. They have sent me the itemised bills but all the rates are more than double what my contracted rates are. I chased for months for the bills and had signed direct debit mandates but they never sent a bill or took payment despite me chasing them.

 

[japancool]

It's over a years worth. They have sent me the itemised bills but all the rates are more than double what my contracted rates are. I chased for months for the bills and had signed direct debit mandates but they never sent a bill or took payment despite me chasing them.

Here's what Ofgem have to say on the matter. Have a read and see how much of it applies to you:

What to do if you get a back bill

Find out if you're covered by our back billing rules, and how to complain to your supplier if you’ve received a bill in error.

www.ofgem.gov.uk

 

[lja 27]

Thank you. I did wonder if I might be covered by this and even brought it up with them before. And perhaps this is why they keep going quiet on me. I will have a good read up. Thank you

 

[Chris Ashdown]

It's over a years worth. They have sent me the itemised bills but all the rates are more than double what my contracted rates are. I chased for months for the bills and had signed direct debit mandates but they never sent a bill or took payment despite me chasing them.

Double check your written quote from then at the start,and check the rates are what you thought they said, salespeople are often misleading in what they say and basically crooks. say anything for a sale etc.

Maybe time to go to a solicitor to check things over. Read all the boring small print in future to make sure you understand fully and ignore any sales person who is in a rush to get somewhere else or offer closes today

 

[HFE Signs]

I'm sure you don't need anyone to point out the sensible thing would have been to put the money aside ready as you know for sure the bill would be coming at some point - anyway you are where you are, if you call them and explain your situation, I'm sure they will be able to offer you some kind of payment plan if you show willing. Best of luck

 

[MyEnergyDeals]

As above back bill can be done within 12 months I don't personally work with Positive due to previous issues and feedback from some of my clients. Most suppliers will face some difficulties/poor experiences and just pot luck if it happens to you or not.

Best advice is make sure you do a meter reading once per month and if no bill arrives or no payment is taken call them immediately.

Thanks Tom