{"id":195226,"date":"2023-10-25T09:52:34","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T09:52:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tokenstalk.info\/?p=195226"},"modified":"2023-10-25T09:52:34","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T09:52:34","slug":"couple-sent-an-11000-gas-bill-for-18-years-worth-of-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tokenstalk.info\/world-news\/couple-sent-an-11000-gas-bill-for-18-years-worth-of-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Couple sent an \u00a311,000 gas bill for 18 years worth of energy"},"content":{"rendered":"
A couple have been sent an astonishing gas bill of almost \u00a311,000 after being told they owe 18 years worth of energy.<\/p>\n
Lee Haynes, 44, and partner Jo Woodley, 45, said they did ‘everything’ to try and pay after they moved into their home in Tamworth, Staffordshire in 2005.<\/p>\n
The pair said they immediately tried to sort out the maintenance bills when they moved in – but hit a block when it came to the gas.\u00a0<\/span>Now, almost two decades on, the pair are facing a bill of \u00a310,824.87.<\/p>\n Mr Haynes, a school site worker, said: ‘It’s unbelievable – my worst fears about this have now come true.’<\/p>\n Letters from the National Grid and their housing association, both dated in 2006, confirm struggles to establish the source of the gas.<\/p>\n The couple said they are still none the wiser as to who supplied the gas over the 18-year period – but they have since signed up with a major energy firm.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lee Haynes, 44, and partner Jo Woodley, 45,\u00a0have been sent an astonishing gas bill of almost \u00a311,000, after being told they owe 18 years worth of energy<\/p>\n The pair claim they contacted the ombudsman who said they should wait to hear.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mr\u00a0Haynes\u00a0said: ‘It was very strange. After a few months we had bills for everything but not gas.<\/span><\/p>\n ‘I was worried about suddenly getting a big bill – so I tried really hard to find out who was supplying our gas.<\/p>\n ‘The guy from the housing association tried all the suppliers they work with and said he didn’t know what to do.<\/p>\n ‘When the ombudsman said just to keep the paperwork and leave it, that’s exactly what we did.’<\/p>\n The pair then got a letter from gas distributors Cadent in March 2023, which requested a visit so they could look at the supply to the property.\u00a0<\/p>\n Three months later, they received a follow-up letter from Cadent which said the couple owed nearly \u00a311,000 for gas usage between 2005 and 2023.<\/p>\n They were served with the official invoice last month – which states they have 30 days to pay.<\/p>\n Lee Haynes, pictured with his partner Jo Woodley and their cat, Ernie at their home in Tamworth<\/p>\n Mr Haynes said: ‘I just don’t understand. The 1986 Gas Act says they can recover costs if I’m at fault but I’m not.<\/p>\n ‘Who would write in their calendar every year to try and find out who’s providing gas to their home?<\/p>\n ‘We just got on with living there – like we were told to.<\/p>\n ‘I did everything I could. I didn’t want to just let the problem go.<\/p>\n ‘After two years of trying really hard to find our supplier and trying to pay British Gas, we were told there was nothing we could do.<\/p>\n The couple said they are still none the wiser as to who supplied the gas over the 18-year period – but they have since signed up with a major energy firm<\/p>\n ‘It would be fair enough to bill us if I hadn’t tried, but they can’t really expect me to keep trying for 18 years.<\/p>\n ‘There has to be shared responsibility for this.’<\/p>\n A spokesperson from Cadent said: ‘Whilst Cadent are not a gas supplier, as part of our gas transportation licence we have an obligation to investigate and use our reasonable endeavours to recover the cost of any gas used outside of a supplier contract.<\/p>\n ‘Whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, we must stress we have a specialist team who are on hand to offer help and support to customers who are required to make a repayment.’<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
READ MORE:\u00a0Grandmother, 73, was overcharged by British Gas for seven years and left with a \u00a3500-a-month bill<\/h3>\n
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