Just bought a flat at auction. What now?

DocProc

Placing the highest bid was fairly easy. Now for the fun...

The last owner binned the details (and also his mortgage payments too apparently!)

Can't use a comparison site. We don't know anything about who supplied what and neither what the usage was. All we know, is 'It's just a small flat." and in the East Midlands supply zone. Northampton, actually.

There are quite a few things to do to the flat and we won't be moving into it, anyhow. Once we have done certain repairs and the decorating and fixed it up nicely, then we will most probably let our daughter have it. She is a worthy case for a lot of help, we feel. Thus, the idea is to get the supplies of services switched on and connected, do the work and then hand it over to her. At this stage she will start paying the bills too.

In the first instance we will be the customer, but we won't be living there. We want Gas and Electricity (as per these threads) but we obviously don't want a Cancellation Charge applying at customer swap-over time.

I'm sure you get the idea and drift of what our situation calls for?

Oh, and we would want an annnual service and an emergency call out plan for the central heating boiler

I think the potential suppliers we can pick from are as follows:

NPower
British Gas
E-ON
Southern Electric
EDF Energy
Sainsbury's Energy
Scottish Power
Utilita
Telecom Plus The Utility Warehouse
Spark Energy

Of course, I could ring any one of these and sign up but that might not be the best thing to do. This thing is so complicated.

Any tips or advice or comments would be greatly appreciated.

JimmyTheWig

Why can't you use comparison sites?

DocProc

I thought they are to do with Changing Suppliers?

I don't want to change. I want to kick one off for Gas and another one off for Electricity from a standing start.

DocProc

And if we ring British Gas, we get as far as 'Please Enter Your Customer Number'.

Of course, we'd love to get one.

Aaaaargh!

DocProc

Aha!

We've just rung British Gas on 0800 0480101 and they have been able to use the Post Code and the House Number to tell us:

The Gas has been 'capped' at the meter. There should be a label or note on it. No idea of this supplier but definitely not Transco.

The Electricity supplier was 'EDF - Energy' (Tel: 0800 096 9000) and is still 'Live'. So the electricity has merely been switched off.

Obviously, we need to take meter readings and then make a decision about who to ring to take over the supply.

So back to my Post Number 1 as to how to make such a decision.

The British Gas site seems to communicate 'Dual Fuel' might be best and a 'Monthly Direct Debit' might be best too.

DirectDebacle

DocProc wrote: »

Aha!

We've just rung British Gas on 0800 0480101 and they have been able to use the Post Code and the House Number to tell us:

The Gas has been 'capped' at the meter. There should be a label or note on it. No idea of this supplier but definitely not Transco.

The Electricity supplier was 'EDF - Energy' (Tel: 0800 096 9000) and is still 'Live'. So the electricity has merely been switched off.

Obviously, we need to take meter readings and then make a decision about who to ring to take over the supply.

So back to my Post Number 1 as to how to make such a decision.

The British Gas site seems to communicate 'Dual Fuel' might be best and a 'Monthly Direct Debit' might be best too.

First things first. If you haven't already then take readings of the gas and electricity meters as soon as possible. Find out who the last supplier of gas was to the property and then get in touch with them and EDF. Ensure their meter readings for closing the account tally with your meter readings. You don't want bills for previous occupiers.

You have to start somewhere with expected usage to be able to compare prices. National average for gas consumption is around 24000kWh per annum and electricity is around 3500kWh per annum. Small flat, one occupant? Adjust downward if you think fit. Enter these kWh into comparison sites. Ensure you tick the kWh per annum boxes and not monthly DD boxes. This will give you a base to work from. If you choose other than the existing suppliers for your energy to that property then you will be 'deemed' to be supplied by them until you start with the suppliers of your choice. You will have to arrange for the gas to be reconnected. Ensure no internal gas outlets have been left uncapped or turned on.

DocProc

DirectDebacle

Thank you. Your comments and advice are exactly what I'm looking for.

We don't take possession until Monday 31st and today is Thursday 27th so I've used our own utilities cupboard key and gone to the premises to take some readings as you suggested.

The electricity has merely been switched of at the cupboard. The gas valve has been switched off at the meter in the separate cupboard nearby. Thus I've been able to get the Meter Readings for both.

There is no indication in either cupboard as to who the suppliers are or were.

Tons of black/yellow stripey tape on everything and the electricity meter cupboard door has a nasty split on it, so I'll be shopping about for a renewal.

Thanks for your tip about actual guestimate figures to use for usage. I'll adjust them by about 20% downwards, I think.

Next thing I'm now ready to do is to use the comparator sites, which is what I couldn't do before.

There are some good deals about for 'swapping' suppliers for all sorts of things. However, none of the Online sites seem to cater at all for a brand new virgin user, who wasn't a user before.

This is a property bought at Auction. When you make your successful bid, that's when you Sign and Exchange a Contract to complete within 21 days - and within a few minutes of bidding too, because they haul you off to a side office at the auction to do the paperwork.

So this is exactly what you have to do. Namely, Complete within 21 Days!

If you didn't manage to find out all of your information beforehand or some of the legalities are incomplete at the Date of Completion then it's:-

1. 'Tough!' for the information you haven't managed to get beforehand.

2. 'To follow!' from your own conveyancer (usually a solicitor) with any of your incomplete Searches.

3. 'On a solicitors' undertaking from the Vendor's solicitor' for any incomplete legalities (eg, say, to do with the Lease if it's a Leasehold property.

Thanks once again for your help.

DirectDebacle

Your priority before going on comparison sites is to find out who the previous suppliers were to the property. Call EDF as information suggests they supplied elec. Find out if it is them and if they also supplied the gas. Both are often supplied by the same co. If not, while you are on the phone ask them what info you need (meter no. probably) and who you call to find out who the suppliers are. You have to find out who these suppliers are so you can ensure that the accounts were closed correctly with the correct meter readings. Once you have established which suppliers the accounts are with see if they can be started in your daughters name. Dual fuel and DD are usually the cheapest. You can arrange for the money to cover the DD to go into your daughters A/C a few days before it is due to come out of hers. When she moves in there will be no need to change the account as it will already be hers. You can then 'do' the switching sites at your leisure.

terryya

To find out who supplies a proprty with gas just call Transco's Meter Helpline on 0870 608 1524