How roommates should fix an erroneous energy transfer
A practical shared-home workflow for documenting an unauthorised supplier switch, restoring the correct registration, and reconciling revised bills.
A surprise welcome letter or final bill can mean your shared home was moved to another energy supplier without permission. Treat it as an erroneous transfer, contact the old supplier first, preserve the account evidence, and do not let housemates pay both suppliers while the companies sort out who should bill you.
Confirm that the switch was not authorised
Ask everyone who could reasonably have acted on the account before opening a dispute. That includes the named account holder, a partner with account access, the landlord if energy is included in rent, and any housemate who recently compared tariffs. A switch nobody remembers is different from an agreed switch that one person forgot to mention.
Save the unexpected welcome letter, final bill, emails, and screenshots. Photograph the gas and electricity meters, including each serial number and current reading. Compare those serial numbers with the most recent valid bill. If the numbers differ, say so when reporting the problem because the supplier may have selected a neighbouring flat or the wrong meter point. HomeCo's guide to verifying the utility meter identity in a shared rental can help the household make that check without guessing.
Write down the date each notice arrived. Keep gas and electricity separate in the record because only one fuel may have moved.
Report the erroneous transfer to the old supplier
Contact the supplier you expected to have and use the phrase “erroneous transfer.” Give the service address, account number, meter serial number, notice date, and a clear statement that nobody authorised the switch. Ask for a complaint reference and written confirmation of the next step.
Ofgem says you must tell your old supplier when a supply has been switched by mistake. Its switching compensation guidance says the old supplier has 21 working days to re-register the supply after the mistake is established. It also explains the compensation standards and the separate deadlines for investigating, agreeing the error, restoring the registration, and paying compensation.
Do not cancel an existing direct debit solely because a letter arrived. First ask the old supplier how normal payments will be handled during correction. Equally, do not set up a new payment arrangement with the unexpected supplier until it explains why it believes a valid contract exists. If either company asks for money, request an itemised statement showing the dates, readings, tariff, and basis of liability.
Keep one household record until billing is repaired
Nominate one resident to communicate with both suppliers, but keep the full thread visible to everyone who shares the bill. Record each contact with the date, channel, representative, reference number, promise, and due date. Put the opening and closing meter readings beside the relevant dates rather than in a general notes field.
Continue setting aside the household's normal energy contribution. A registration dispute does not make the energy free, and a corrected bill may arrive later. Holding the money prevents one account holder from financing the eventual catch-up bill alone.
When correction is confirmed, check that the restored supplier uses a continuous and credible reading history. Compare the final bill from the unexpected supplier, any revised bill from the original supplier, and payments already taken. Challenge overlapping supply dates or the same consumption billed twice. Then reconcile refunds and corrected charges according to the household's ordinary split, not according to whose bank account happened to receive them.
How HomeCo helps
Create one HomeCo task for the erroneous transfer and assign the account holder as owner. Add dated tasks for contacting the old supplier, checking both serial numbers, following up on each promised deadline, and reviewing revised bills. Post a household announcement stating where the meter photos and notices are stored so another authorised housemate can continue the case if the account holder is unavailable.
A shared expense record should distinguish money actually paid from money merely reserved. That keeps an unexpected supplier demand from being counted as a real household expense before liability is established. Once final bills are correct, record the agreed shares and track their settlement status.
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier should we contact first?
Ofgem directs customers to contact the old supplier about a mistaken switch. You can also notify the unexpected new supplier, but keep the old supplier's complaint reference as the main case record.
Should roommates split the unexpected bill immediately?
No. Ask for the contractual basis, billing dates, meter identity, and readings first. Continue reserving money for genuine consumption, but do not treat a disputed duplicate demand as settled household spending.
What if one housemate did authorise the switch?
Then it may not be an erroneous transfer. Ask the supplier for the contract and switch date, determine whether that resident had authority to act for the account holder, and use the supplier's complaint process if consent or sales conduct remains disputed.