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I believe we were made to enter into a contract fraudulently by a broker the above company used last year. Unfortunately, BES and their broker refused to release the pre-contractual recorded telephone conversation when i took the case to the energy ombudsman. Consequently, BES won the case. This is despite having been advised that i could change my mind within 14 days regarding the contract. We had to "bit" the bullet and accept defeat. During the investigations, i had stopped the direct debit but was paying the bill by cheque. BES charged us on the highest tariff as penalty for stopping the direct debit mandate. After losing the case, i asked BES to rework the bill as for direct debit. Despite numerous emails, this did not happen. Consequently, our bills especially gas bill went up exponentially. We continued making small payments. We own a guest house since 5th July 2019. Unfortunately, we have had no business since December 2019 to date. No one lives at the guest house. In June, we received two letters that they were sending a team to disconnect the supply of gas and electricity. I telephoned them to ask why we were still being billed on a highest tarriff despite the many emails i had sent them to change things. I was told that they could help by srtting up a payment plan and that they were going to rebill only the last three months bills. But that we needed to find ways to pay the outstanding bill. I was also promised that the plan would be put in writing and that i was going to receive an email. Three weeks went by, no email came through. I telephoned them on 10/07/2020 to ask. They confirmed that no email was sent but also that the direct debits for both gas and electricity had been set up. I was told that for gas usage from 30th June to 10July was £773.43 that this was the amount that was going to be debited from our business account on the 15th July. I thought they had made a mistake. I did not understand how that astronomical bill was reached at because betwen 1st March to 31st May, the bill was £234.00.They were adamant that was the bill. I tried to explain that the guest house has been vacant. They replied that i should have used the government grant to sort out the bills as priority. The grant has been used to refurbish the guest house as it was in a state of disrepair. They said it was non of their business and that they would go ahead to disconnect gas and electricity and that i would have to pay £100 for the process. I contactex Citizens advice. I used their template to show our income and expenditure. Sadly, between my husband and i, we have no money left to pay the bills. I did offer to pay £50 per month for now until business picked up in August. They refused. I therefore stopped the direct debit and sent a letter of complaint with our income and expenditure evidence BES. I feel very angry with the way we have been treated. Do you think small claims court would be a better way forward at all?
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