So this is an odd situation, but I moved into my apartment with my partner in July 2017. We took over the bills, did all the paperwork, set up all the direct debits. All was good.
Until last Friday.
I get a letter from a company saying they will cut off my electricity the following Monday unless I call them.
It looks like a con, the website they state in the letter doesn't work, so I went to speak to a few neighbors in the building and turns out they are legitimate and the suppliers of electricity for the building. They claim since I moved in, no one has once paid for the electricity. I say I pay Origin for electricity. Look up my bills, and turns out, nope I pay Origin for gas (my heart sank). My previous apartment, I had Origin for electricity and Gas was covered by the body corp so included in the rent in the rush of moving I'd thought this was the same.
Next thing they say they are going to send me through my bills.
They send 10 bills in row, one after another, totaling over $3500.
The rates are extortionate, my partner and I both work full time and are often away, yet the bills are coming out and the average of what a 5 person house would be.
My problem is, why on earth have they taken two years to contact me? If I had seen the price of the bills I would have moved company, sorted something else, and above all else having seen the very first bill, I would have then been conscious of our electricity usage from that moment forward. Instead they have waited for me to rack up a massive debt then 2 years later, despite knowing exactly where I live, have sent their first piece of contact.
Is there any way I can challenge this legally? Is it not legally their responsibility to make contact with me in a suitable time frame? Or am I stupid and do I just suck it up and pay and move on?
Yeah I considered potentially negotiating and thought that would be my only option when I posted this thread to be honest.