Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether an energy company has the right to pursue court enforcement action on an estimated fuel bill.

Energy supply companies can take enforcement action to recover charges on the basis of estimated consumption.

Ofgem Licence Conditions however, require suppliers to take all reasonable steps to obtain a meter reading at least once a year and customers can provide a meter reading to correct an estimate. Ofgem Supply Licence Conditions also require companies to take all necessary steps before exercising any action to recover debts.

Customers can raise a complaint with their supplier if the charges are disputed and take this complaint to the Ombudsman Service: Energy, should it not be resolved within 8 weeks.