Scottish Power chased me for £3k I didn’t owe – then I learned I was being billed for TWO homes after ‘erroneous switch’

WHEN Kath Talbot bought her cottage in Stone, Staffordshire in January 2022, she couldn’t have prepared herself for the two-year ordeal with her energy bills that would follow.

Retiree Kath, 75, set about switching from Scottish Power, the existing supplier for the property, to Octopus Energy, her preferred energy firm as soon as she moved in.

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An account with Octopus was swiftly set up and she began paying the company for her gas and electricity bills with no issues.

That was, until she received a huge bill for almost £2,000 from Scottish Power a year later, in January 2023.

Kath promptly contacted Scottish Power and told them she had switched suppliers a year ago and didn’t owe them any money, and even sent copies of her bank statements showing her payments to Octopus as proof.

But after months of back and forth, Scottish Power still insisted she was in arrears and continued to send her increasingly large bills – culminating in a demand for £2,989.

After a year of this and with no sight of a resolution, Kath finally contacted Sun Money and asked us to help liaise with Scottish Power on her behalf.

She said at the time: “I’m extremely frustrated and just don’t know what else to do.

“I’ve called, sent emails and spent hours on their chat lines with no success.

“I’m so worried that I could end up in court, which at 75 years of age is really not something I need to think about.”

When Sun Money spoke to both companies, it turned out Kath was in an extraordinary – and thankfully rare – situation where she was being billed for two separate meters.

When she had tried to switch to Octopus Energy two years ago, a “mix up” had resulted in the wrong energy meter being linked to her account.

This meant she had actually been paying the bill for a different address to Octopus Energy since February 4, 2022, while Scottish Power had remained the supplier for her own property.

As a result, she had been racking up a debt to Scottish Power for almost two years, which could have had devastating consequences for her credit rating.

Octopus Energy acknowledged to Sun Money that there had been an “erroneous transfer” when Kath tried to switch to them.

An erroneous transfer is where a switch to a new supplier doesn’t work correctly or happens without the customer’s consent.

In Kath’s case, the transfer didn’t go through seamlessly because the incorrect address information was held on the industry database used by energy firms.

So, another address was transferred to Octopus Energy and Kath set up a direct debit to pay this bill instead.

Scottish Power wasn’t aware she had requested to switch providers.

Kath now can’t be moved to Octopus until her debt with Scottish Power is cleared.

So, to make amends for the mix-up, Octopus has credited her account with £2,989 so she can clear her debt to Scottish Power and start afresh.

This is more than the £2,650 Kath was actually owed by Octopus Energy for paying for the wrong meter.

Once her bill is cleared with Scottish Power, Octopus will arrange the transfer.

A spokesperson for Octopus said: “We’re pleased to say we’ve spoken to Kath and we’ve agreed a resolution with her.

“We will keep a close eye on Kath’s account until the switch is complete. Once complete, Kath can continue with us as normal.”

Kath said: “I do not think the problem would have been solved had Sun Money not got involved – I really do thank you so much for your help.”

Sun Money has requested for the arrears to be removed from Kath’s credit file.

Our Squeeze Team has won back £162,646 for readers so far.

What can I do if I think my energy bills are wrong?

If you don’t agree with your energy bill, the first thing to do is ensure that you’re paying for the right property.

Check that the serial number on your energy meter matches the one on your account, as this is a common cause of mix-ups.

Also make sure to take photos of your meter readings, and note down each time you call your supplier.

It’s best to follow up any complaints in writing, putting the word “complaint” in the subject line of your email or letter.

Check your supplier’s website for the correct email or address before sending anything.

Energy firms have eight weeks to respond to a complaint with a decision, so don’t give them any reason to delay.

If your firm doesn’t respond in this time frame or you’re not happy with the response, you can take your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.

Based on the evidence submitted by you and the company, the ombudsman will make a judgement. If you accept this, your supplier has 28 days to comply.

What if my bills were wrong?

If it turns out you’ve been wrongly labelled as being in debt, you need to make sure your credit file isn’t affected.

Ask the company you’re dealing with to get any arrears or missed payments removed from your credit file urgently.

You can also contact credit agencies to ask them to make a “notice of correction”.

This is where you make a note on your credit file that can be seen by lenders, explaining the context around any missed payments.

The main credit reference agencies are Experian, Transunion or Equifax. Go to them directly to add any notes to your credit report.

You can check your credit reports for free by signing up free to Experian, ClearScore for Equifax and Credit Karma for Transunion.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money@the-sun.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories.