Sat, 01 Feb 2025

'My £5,700 energy bill was cancelled as it was too old'

Thousands of people have received energy bills that are older than 12 months, despite it being against regulator rules.

* 3,308 people complained to the energy ombudsman about receiving "back bills" in the past year, but this number is likely much higher as only cases that can't be resolved by suppliers first get reported.
* Back billing involves sending a bill for energy used over 12 months ago, which was outlawed by regulator Ofgem in 2018.
* Two people, Hayley Jarvis and Matt Lynch, received back bills from E.On Next despite the law change.
* It took them days of multiple calls and emails to get their bills rescinded, and both bills should have never been sent under Ofgem's rules.
* Regulator Ofgem is committed to reviewing the rules around billing and ensuring suppliers follow the law.
* Energy UK says suppliers have a duty of care to customers and are working to improve practices.
* E.On Next apologised for the mistake in Hayley's case, citing human error, but has systems in place to prevent back bills from being sent out.
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