Previous owners electricity bill

Rebchappers

We completed on a house on Dec 10th and have notified all of the relevant utilities. We have now received a final bill for the electricity for the usage up until Dec 10th. It is addressed ''to the occupier''

Are we responsible for paying this, even though we didnt complete until the 10th?

If not, what do i do about this? The house was sold by a part excahnge company as the original owner apparently moved up north. I have no forwarding address for the previous owner. Surely the electricity company ( Scottish and Southern) would know where they have gone to?

Thanks

prowla

I don't see how you can be liable for something that pre-dates your completion, that you had not entered into a contract for, and that you can prove that you evidently did not use.

Clearly the "The Occupier" in question is the previous "The occupier", and not yourself. And the contract between them and the supplier is none of your business. Further, it should not be your task to track down the person they want to contact (if you have their info then fine, and you may even refer them to the seller of the property as a courtesy, but otherwise you are not the missing persons bureau).

I would suggest going back to the utility supplier and telling them this.
The first person you speak to may say that you have to pay it (they probably only have a set number of tasks they perform), so you may need to ask to speak to a manager and continue to escalate it.

Some companies will try it on to see if you will pay them (I once had the misfortune of dealing with Bupa, who tried to charge me for a component of an all inclusive treatment that I had paid in full, and took it as far as debt collection agency, despite their consultant confirming in writing that I had paid!).

beverleyhills

Pass it on to your solictor to sort out.

zaphod_beeblebrox_2

No big deal, this happened to us

Send a copy (proof) of your completion date to Scottish and Southern with an opening meter reading from the 10th Dec

Sorted!

olly300

Rebchappers wrote: »

We completed on a house on Dec 10th and have notified all of the relevant utilities. We have now received a final bill for the electricity for the usage up until Dec 10th. It is addressed ''to the occupier''

Are we responsible for paying this, even though we didnt complete until the 10th?

No.

Send it back to Scottish and Southern with "Return to Sender" on the envelope if you haven't destroyed it.

If you have phone them up and tell them that you are not the people who lived at the address before the 10th.

Rebchappers wrote: »

If not, what do i do about this? The house was sold by a part excahnge company as the original owner apparently moved up north. I have no forwarding address for the previous owner.

Tell the utility company this.

Ask the person on the other end of the phone their name and make a note of the time and date of the phone call
as well as the person's name.

Rebchappers wrote: »

Surely the electricity company ( Scottish and Southern) would know where they have gone to?

They also don't have the forward address that's why they have sent the bill to "The Occupier".

If Scottish and Southern send you another bill after you have phoned them addressed to "The Occupier" write back to them with a letter titled "Formal Complaint" stating:
1. The details of your original phone call to them.
2. Again that you were not the occupier before the 10th
3. That you have no forwarding address for the previous occupiers.
4. If they wish to chase up the former occupier then the only people who will know where they have gone to is part exchange company and give the company's address.
5. If they contact you again you will make a complaint to the ombudsman.

If they then don't leave you alone contact the energy ombudsman details are here: http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/default.aspx

I personally don't bother wasting my time on the phone talking to customer service advisers as some companies outsource this work and you are talking to someone who doesn't have access to all the systems.

clutton_2

you only have to pay a bill in your name

never_enough

Advice as above^
They may take some time to stop sending bills, but it's not your problem.

Rebchappers

Thank you all for your help... it is much appreciated

Nikki

This happened to us when we moved here 3 years ago. The house was in probate and we got a bill from BG for months before we moved in!! We informed them and they agreed we weren't responsible for the bill. We were still getting demands for it after the call to BG and we even received letters from the baliffs!! It did stop after about 6 months. We also got bills from our old house for after we sold it, the new owners didn't move in for a month after completion and tried to get us billed for the electric they'd used in the month between completion and them moving in!!

Ian_Griffiths_Halifax

The previous owners are the Part Exchange company as far as you are concerned. Give their details to Scottish & Southern and leave it to them. If they have the previous Occupiers forwarding address, then I'm sure they'll pass it on.

Minky2Slice

I rang BG today to confirm if they were the gas/elec providers for the repo we are buying and to find out if the gas has just been switched off or how long it will take to reconnect.
when she brought the a/c up, just out of curiosity I asked if there was any bills owing on the property... she said yes, but it has nothing to do with the new owners, we wont ever be responsible for it.

Its not your problem about previous bills, so dont even worry, as long as you have the a/c changed into your name and the supplier knows you're the new occupier, u shouldnt have to worry how/if/when they trace the previous occupiers!

Not sure is S&S works in the same way, but i was told to ring their Home-movers line, so that they can cancel the old a/c on the property and set up a new a/c in my name..