A couple in Tamworth, England, were in for a shock when they received a gas bill for £10,824.87 after not receiving one for 18 years. Lee Haynes and Jo Woodley had not been billed since they moved into their home in 2005 despite their efforts to sort out utility bills. Multiple organisations, including the National Grid, were unable to find their energy suppliers, the couple said. Cadent, the gas distributor, said it had an obligation to recover the cost of any gas used outside of a contract.
Letters from the National Grid and their housing association from 2006 confirm the struggle the couple had in establishing the source of the gas. The utilities ombudsman advised them to wait for the responsible gas supplier to contact them. In March, Cadent informed the couple that they would investigate the supply to their property. They were served with the invoice for gas usage between 2005 and 2023 in September, with a 30-day deadline to pay.
The couple remains unaware of the gas supplier who provided gas to their home for the past 18 years but has since signed up with a major energy company. Haynes says that he does not understand the bill as he is not at fault. Cadent responded by saying that although it is not a gas supplier, it has an obligation to investigate and recover the cost of any gas used outside of a supplier contract. The spokesperson added that the company has a specialist team that offers help and support to customers who need to make a repayment.
The couple emphasizes that there must be a “shared responsibility” for the bill, given the effort they made to rectify the issue. Meanwhile, the case has been making headlines as experts believe that if the couple successfully contest the bill in court, it could potentially set a precedent for other energy bills
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