British Gas warrant

[Kerry curly]

I received a hand delivered letter today stating that British Gas are applying for a warrant to enter my business premises and change the locks due to an alledged £16000 debt. My cafe is supplied by Npower and I have never received a bill from British Gas. I've spoken with them however they are insisting I owe them the money. Can someone please advise? Also, can the warrant be prevented? Thanks, Kerry

[Amethyst]

Is this the first you have heard of any debt with British Gas?

Is the letter addressed to you or just the property address? How long have you been at those premises ?

Have you asked BG to provide copies of the bills /documentation showing that you owe this amount ?

[Kerry curly]

Hello.
There was a man sitting outside the cafe in a van with British Gas on the dashboard a few weeks ago. He was there for a few hours. I locked up and when I returned the next day there was a letter stating that I owed £16000 and they had been unable to contact me. I telephoned immediately and explained that they must be mistaken because the power was transferred to NPower 16 months ago when I took over the premises and they fitted new metres and 3phase power supply for the kitchen. I have never received a bill, demand for payment etc from British Gas prior to then. The hand delivered letter came to my home address today. Again, I have never received any correspondence there either.

[R0b]

If you are absolutely confident that the debt does not relate to you in any way, and you can prove that you were with EDF when you first moved into the property, if it were me I would be taking steps to put British Gas on notice and write to them that they have the wrong person.

The contents of the letter would include something like the following:

1. This is the first ever letter you've received from British Gas and you wholly refute their suggestion that they have made attempts to contact you.
2. You moved into the property on X date and since then you have always had an energy supply with EDF, enclose evidence as confirmation. At no point have you had any contact or correspondence from British Gas and require them to provide evidence of the same.
3. Based on the above, you should request that British Gas suspend all action including the obtaining of any warrant to discuss the matter as you believe they have got the wrong person.
4. In the course of applying for the warrant, they have a duty to give full and frank disclosure to the Magistrates' Court in respect of your arguments made out to British Gas concerning the alleged debt.
5. In the event that a warrant of entry is granted and they exercise the same, then this letter/email serves as notice that you will consider legal action against British Gas for any and all loss or damage suffered by your business as a result of their negligence together with any other remedy you may be entitled to.

One thing that I'm curious about is that you've said that British Gas will come and change the locks; is that actually what the letter says, because changing the locks would in effect lock you out of your own premises and on the face of it, I can't see what legal right British Gas are entitled to do that. Under the Rights of Entry (Gas and Electricity Boards) Act 1954 they can obtain a warrant to enter the premises and that includes using a locksmith to break entry but they also have to make good and make it safe again in the same way it was before they made entry.

Can you upload the letter so we can actually see what it says?