Can an energy provider charge me for energy used prior to starting a contract with them?

A lot missing from the post for it to make sense, however a refusal to pay runs the risk of damage to your credit rating

Mods maybe move to legal/consumer

You need to provide a lot more details.

The fact you're not giving the details means there is probably something fishy going on. Yes, you could be liable if you're trying to game them, it entirely depends on the situation.

I suggest detail everything and send it to the energy regulator. If there is any wrong doing they will get to the bottom of it.

I am not sure a tin-foil hat is required for this one. It looks fairly clear that something like you describe is happening here. In which case, yeah, they could be liable.

Obviously in 99% of cases, you cannot be charged for electricity when you did not "own" the meter. This is likely the 1%.

Contact the regulator.

It's logical you pay the rate from that time if you have photos with timestamps proving the meter reading.

You had an unconnected meter for over a year. You really should have been onto the ESB everyday to get that resolved. You also should have been putting money away for the bill. There's no way you'll get a backdated energy credit.

I still don't think you're telling the full story.

To answer your original question, you'll be charged for all the electricity you used. Even before you joined Bord Gais. The question has now changed.

I actually have no idea.

I'd start with the CRU and see what happens. I doubt he will

Stunned they gave the credits to you.

You seem aware what you have to do. Let the ESB deal with it and follow whatever they advise. I assume you pay then for energy before you joined and then BGE for after?

I've seen this happen and have experienced something a little similar recently that just got rectified. In my case it was human error in Gas Networks that entered an incorrect GPRN, that was a real gprn in a nearby building that was unoccupied. It took 5 months to sort out but only because I kept at Energia looking for updates. Even when it got corrected, it still stook 3 weeks to be fully transferred.

I can't see any element of a scam. The OP has had the runaround and my guess is it started with a human error.

I suggest the OP spends a couple of hours creating a file and sending this file to the supplier and ESB networks and then copy in the energy regulator.

The file will have the following

Date you commenced in the property.

Meter reading of that date

Then firstly calculate approx. standing charges at a rate of 60c per day + vat for the time from the date you moved in to the date of the large bill. Accept that you have no dispute with this standing charge.

Then with the photo evidence you have, print 3 copies of each photo + the date the photo was taken. Work out the number of units used in each period between photo. Find out the approx. unit price at that time and provide this as an approx usage charge. Repeat for each period you have a photo of.

Add in details and ideally some form of print out showing you tried to open. Example is email correspondence.

Give a total calculation and say this is the amount you are willing to pay to make a full and final settlement of the account.

Send a copy by post to ESB networks (let them know you are sending this for reference) and to energy regulator (inform them that you may be opening a complaint if it is not settled).

For the copy you send to Bord Gais, let them know you have sent a copy to ESB networks and also to the regulator and ask them for their final response.

I'd refuse too if they tried to charge current exceptionally high rates for 2021 use especially if I had tried several times to regulate it. You are talking approx. 16c-18c a unit versus 45c-50c a unit. Would you pay 3 times the rate in such circumstances?

If you read the original post, it is out of exasperation rather than malice that he was suggesting he would not pay.

Mine resolved in 5 months because its a large warehouse & office building and my gas bill is about €3k a month at this time of year, so I was very proactive and still I faced utter incompetence.

Exasperation implies the guy did something. He did very little. It doesn't take 2 years to resolve this sort of stuff. "I heard nothing for 9 months" - he did nothing for 9 months.

If he has timestamped photos of the meter at different points in the year, he should of course pay the rate at the time and not the rate now. It would be the highest rate between photos though (one would imagine).

As Jim2007 says, he played a silly game and this is the consequence. The only difference is that you believe he was acting in good faith, I believe he wasn't. If he was acting in good faith, he would have regular photos of the meter as common sense would tell you to keep track of it as the rates increased every few months.