Ghost customers slip through energy bill net

Research carried out by moneysupermarket.com indicates that Britain has almost two million ‘ghost’ households when it comes to energy bills, with people either not paying for their gas or electricity or leaving a property without paying for it.

The survey found that almost one million households (4% of the total households in Britain, according to 2006 figures) do not pay for gas and electricity and that of those, half have not tried to identify their supplier whilst the other half have not acknowledged as being a customer by their supplier or have not been able to identify their supplier. People under 30 have had the most difficulty in identifying their supplier, with 26% of respondents admitting to the problem. Meanwhile, London and Wales are the regions in which respondents had the most difficulty in identifying their supplier.

5% of respondents also revealed that they have moved out of a property without paying their gas and electricity bills, leaving the new owners to do so.

Scott Byrom, Utilities Manager, moneysupermarket.com, said:

“Our research reveals nearly a million Brits manage to slip through the net and escape paying for their gas and electricity. Whether this is by deliberately keeping a low profile, or just being lost by their supplier, we would advise against staying invisible – you could find you are landed with a hefty bill when your provider finally catches up with you.”

“To find out your electricity supplier you need to call your local distribution network operator (DNO) as it varies by region, and to identify your gas supplier you’ll need the Meter Point Administration Service.”

“After a significant period of non-payment, there could also be complications over the amount you owe, especially if you don’t retain proof of your usage or the meter readings from when you moved into the property. From a billing point of view, a supplier can only charge you retrospectively for the past 12 months of energy used but at today’s prices this could see you incur a bill of around £1,200.”

“The problem of ‘ghost’ customers seems to be a common occurrence with younger people who move around frequently and live in urban areas. If you’ve recently moved into a property, your estate agent may know the details of the existing gas and electricity supplier for the property, and ensure you don’t end up paying for someone else’s bills by providing the supplier with a meter reading from the day you moved in. If you need to prove the date just obtain a written letter from the estate agent or previous landlord.”

“It is also worth noting that should you ever find yourself in a position where you don’t know who your supplier is, despite trying to find out, and you set up an agreement with a provider of your choice, then you could be charged by both the existing and new supplier for the energy that has been used. It’s therefore crucial to ensure you identify the correct supplier as soon as possible and pay for the energy you use.”