backbilling

watchingmymoney

Hi been a long time watcher of this site and have a question regarding my electricity bill/supply that I hope someone can help with. I moved into my flat (1 bedroom, just me here) about a 16 months ago and was told by landlord that my flat was still linked to the shop downstairs in terms of electricity supply (it was one flat converted into two flats with the upstairs flat having a definite separate electricity supply). I was contacted by EDF last August telling me that my flat might experience some disruption as they were doing some work on the shop downstairs and I was still linked into the supply (at that time I thought I would be getting a separate meter which is what my landlord had led me to believe would happen at that time). I never received any further information, bills, or requests from EDF. I was contacted (via knock on the door) last week by an engineer from EDF telling me that he was here for the scheduled change in meter (it turned out he had an appointment with the shop downstairs organized by the landlord, not me). In short, I don't know if I have a separate meter yet, my landlord had never told me anything and I'm very worried that I'm going to get hit with a massive bill!
So what should I do? Should I contact EDF and ask what is going on (again they've made no attempt to contact me for over a year now) and find out if a new meter for the shop and separate one for my flat have been fitted (I don't think one has as the meter for the flat upstairs is way up in a cupboard in the entrance which is virtually impossible to reach and I've not seen/heard anyone trying to get access to add one for my flat). I would try the landlord again but he is generally very slow in getting anything done (for example my flat was flooded by the bath upstairs 2 months ago and I'm still waiting on repairs to the ceiling as well as repairs to a leaky window from 4 months ago despite repeated phone calls from me). My experience has always been that the person who tries to be honest and sort out the situation is the one who gets messed about by the utilities companies. What would you do? What should I do?

Premier_2

What does it say in your TA about paying for electricity?

I doubt EDF will be billing you for what you've already consumed as that would already have been recorded on the shops meter if I understand you correctly. Whoever is named on the bill for the shop will be pursued for any electricity used to date.

If your TA implies the rent covers all electricity consumed (I'm not sure how else you could be charged without a meter in place), then leave it as is.

Only agree to a meter and pay for consumption if you think that would be less than any discount you negotiate on the current rent.

Cardew

Make an estimate of the likely bills, stick that money in a separate bank account each month, sit back and await developments.