I've received a letter from a debt collecter?

[GiraffePencils]

Was the 2nd of October last year "we all forgot English" day or something?

I blame dyslexia, always putting 'e' where it doesn't belong.

As a general update, I have been contacting Scottish power,

Latest nonsense is there is apparently 2 accounts associated with my address, and one IS in the previous letting agents name.
Now I've lived in the property since 2014, so who knows why this nonsense has popped up now, but there seems to be some problem with their online portal and not properly registering my meter readings...........
No idea what's going on here, but ofgem's site say they can't bill me for usage over 12 months old, so if there's been some problem surely all I can get is the last 12 month's difference.

They can't claim it's been off for 5 years and throw that at me can they?

 

[BigBoy]

No they can only request payment for the last 12 months but they also have to prove usage for that period as the bill has to be accurate. Scottish power are renowned for poorly managed accounts and multiple active accounts at one address. I deal with them (SSE networks not accounts thankfully) and they are all useless, call centre staff are so poorly trained there is no wonder things don't go as expected.

 

[skyripper]

I blame dyslexia, always putting 'e' where it doesn't belong.

As a general update, I have been contacting Scottish power,

Latest nonsense is there is apparently 2 accounts associated with my address, and one IS in the previous letting agents name.
Now I've lived in the property since 2014, so who knows why this nonsense has popped up now, but there seems to be some problem with their online portal and not properly registering my meter readings...........
No idea what's going on here, but ofgem's site say they can't bill me for usage over 12 months old, so if there's been some problem surely all I can get is the last 12 month's difference.

They can't claim it's been off for 5 years and throw that at me can they?

The code of conduct they (Scottish Power) signed up to says no.
They cannot bill you for unbilled or inaccurate bills more than 12 months old. Which won't stop the automated billing processes trying, and the helpdesk scripts you have to work thru when you call them.

If you get nowhere with the utility company, they will refer you to the ombudsman.
The ombudsman decision is not binding on you either, so if they come up with some ridiculous decision, you don't have to accept it!

Its amazing that a company whose number one business activity is actually "recording usage, billing for it, collecting it" is so bad at it.
They don't actually provide electricity, they buy it from a provider and sell it to you, and all the infrastructure etc. was put in by someone else.