A couple in Tamworth, Staffordshire, found themselves facing an unexpected gas bill of £10,824.87 after being unable to determine their gas supplier for nearly two decades.
Lee Haynes and Jo Woodley moved into their home in 2005, but the responsibility for the gas supply remained unclear.
Despite their efforts to resolve the matter, the couple received the surprising bill, leaving them bewildered about the gas supply situation over the past 18 years.
Lee, a 44-year-old school site worker, expressed his disbelief, saying, “It’s unbelievable – my worst fears about this have now come true.”
The couple sought assistance from the ombudsman, who advised them to await communication from their gas supplier.
Lee recounted their efforts, stating, “I was worried about suddenly getting a big bill – so I tried really hard to find out who was supplying our gas.”
In March, they received a letter from gas distributor Cadent, informing them of an inspection. Three months later, the couple received a substantial gas bill.
A spokesperson from Cadent explained: “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.”
