Tamworth couple charged £11k for gas after 18 years with no bill

A couple who had not received a gas bill for 18 years were left in shock when they were sent an invoice for nearly £11,000.

Lee Haynes, 44, and Jo Woodley, 45, have not been billed since moving into their Tamworth house in 2005.

Multiple organisations, including the National Grid, had struggled to find their energy suppliers, they said.

Gas distributor Cadent said it had an obligation to recover the cost of any gas used outside of a contract.

After moving into their home, they say they immediately tried to sort out utility bills but hit a block when it came to the gas.

"We just got on with living there - like we were told to," Mr Haynes, a school site worker said.

"I did everything I could. I didn't want to just let the problem go.

"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."

Letters from the National Grid and their housing association, both dated in 2006, confirm struggles to establish the source of the gas.

The couple then contacted the utilities ombudsman, which they claim advised them to wait for the responsible gas supplier to contact them.

Now, almost two decades on, the distraught couple are facing a bill of £10,824.87.

In March, Mr Haynes and Ms Woodley, an administrator, received a letter from Cadent saying it wanted to come and look at the supply to their property.

In September, they were served with the official invoice for gas usage between 2005 and 2023, with a 30-day deadline to pay.

The pair say they still do not know who supplied the gas over the 18-year period, but have since signed up with a major energy firm.

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."

A spokesperson from Cadent said: "Whilst Cadent are not a gas supplier, as part of our gas transportation license we have an obligation to investigate and use our reasonable endeavours to recover the cost of any gas used outside of a supplier contract.

"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."

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