Moving house? Check if your energy supplier owes you money
If you’ve moved house in the last five years, you may have unclaimed money left in your old gas and electricity accounts.
There is around £240 million in closed energy accounts that could be refunded to customers, according to regulator Ofgem and suppliers.
Energy suppliers are obligated to refund credit to customers, but this can be difficult if contact information is not up to date.
Most people may only owe a few pounds, but some may claim back more than £100.
Energy UK, which represents suppliers, said people should check letters and emails and contact their former supplier if they think they have outstanding loans.
Energy UK said the majority of closed account balances were automatically refunded. However, sometimes it is difficult to contact a person after they move house and close their account, so customers are encouraged to check out themselves.
Tim Jarvis, director general of retail at Ofgem, said: “Moving a house requires a lot of admin and it is understandable that things can be overlooked.
“But with almost two million closed accounts now credited, the message is clear: if you have moved within the last five years, contact your old supplier, give them the correct details so you may be able to get your money refunded.”
Energy UK’s advice is to keep your direct debit active until the final bill is paid. Any remaining credits should be paid automatically to customers.
Under Ofgem rules, suppliers must issue a final invoice within six weeks and issue a refund within 10 working days, but Ofgem said missing customer information was causing delays.
Earlier this week Ofgem announced its plans Clearing some of the record debts customers owe to suppliers.
Energy debt and arrears in England, Wales and Scotland have risen by £750 million in a year to £4.4 billion.
But the proposed plan to clear that debt would require higher bills for everyone else, a solution that has been criticized.
Most households are already paying £52 a year to cope with historic debts.
The chairman of the government’s Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee said “parts of the industry making healthy profits” should contribute to the debt.
