Multiple accounts cause billing chaos for customer

Published on 20 March 2026

Grace* and her partner Dylan* moved homes and Grace, who held the electricity account in her name, made sure to settle the final payment for their old home shortly after moving out. Months later, Grace received notification from her electricity provider that she had an outstanding electricity debt from her previous address.

Sure that she had made all payments, Grace disputed the debt with her electricity provider. Despite months of emails and requests for information, Grace still couldn’t get a clear explanation of where the debt had come from. Confused and frustrated, Grace came to EWOQ for help.

Here’s how EWOQ helped

We launched an investigation and reviewed all correspondence between Grace and her electricity provider and asked the provider to clearly explain how the debt had occurred.

Our investigation found that Grace and Dylan actually had two separate electricity accounts.

Dylan had held the electricity account at a previous address. When they moved out of that address 2 years ago, Grace paid the final bill, but she accidentally provided incorrect payment details. This meant that the money was allocated to her own account.

Dylan’s account remained in debt, but this wasn’t identified by the provider for some time due to a system issue.

Shortly after their most recent move, the provider emailed Dylan to settle the debt, who forwarded it to Grace to provide proof they had paid. When the provider realised the payment Grace had made 2 years ago was meant for Dylan’s account, it was reallocated which then left Grace’s account in debt.

Outcome

Although the original payment error was made by Grace, the electricity provider acknowledged that a system issue on their end meant Dylan’s outstanding debt was unidentified for a long time. The lengthy delay in commencing the debt collection for Dylan’s account contributed to Grace’s confusion and their miscommunication over the debt. As a result, the electricity provider agreed to waive the outstanding amount.

Grace was glad that EWOQ was able to close the issue after months of trying to solve it on her own.

What can you do?

When moving house, it’s important to make sure you’re opening and closing electricity accounts properly to avoid issues.

• Check that only one account is active for each service.
• If you share bills with a partner or housemates, confirm whose name the account is in.
• Keep records of final bills and payments when you move.

For more advice on correctly setting up accounts, visit Changing energy providers and Moving house? How to avoid issues with your energy or water bills.

If you’re confused about a bill or think something doesn’t add up, you don’t have to handle it alone. EWOQ is here to help.

*names changed to protect privacy.