LCS - Scottish power bill

poohwithmoney

Hey,

Really hope someone can help - i recieved a letter to day from LCS on behalf of Scotish Power/ Requesting payment of £124.08 ( including a administration charge of 330.61).

It's a bill for a flat i rent out. It states that the amount is for the period 11/04 -29/6. I called LCS and said that there was no one in the property for this period (my last tenants moved out in April paying a final bill. My new tenants moved in on the 29th June and went with Scottish power).
I asked how a bill could be so much when there was no one in the property and all the power was off . The response i got was "it's a standing charge all utility comapies do it" again i asked the representive to explain and she repeated (whilst may i add she was eating!!!) "it's a standing charge all utility comapies do it" then she said "we can take you to court".

What is a standing charge!! and is it enforcable surley you only pay for you use?

Help help

KimYeovil

Most suppliers have daily standing charges with their default tariffs. They also have effective standing charges with their no [daily] standing charge version of their tariffs. If your property was vacant then the occupier (ie landlord) is responsible for the deemed bills between tenancies. Did you inform Scottish Power the property was vacant? Did you take readings at the end and beginning of the tenancies? It is your or your agent's responsibility to switch to the appropriate no [daily] standing charge tariff if the property is going to be vacant.

This is part of the process of managing a property. If you or your agent did not bother your !!!!! to visit the property to check correspondence addressed to the occupier or check termination of the previous tenant's account with the appropriate readings then that is just silliness.

The good news is that Scottish Power have some of the cheapest standing charges of all suppliers. The bad news is if you've been negligent and ignored the letters/sensible procedure you will have non-payment penalties and court charges on top of the very cheap £3 per month standing charges to pay.

(By the way, the £124 is a lot more than three-and-a-half months standing charge - that must include an under-reported meter reading or something.)

poohwithmoney

Hey,

I didn't inform scotttish power as Originally i was with Powergen - I have all mail for me and if anything is addresses to the Occupier redirected to my address and recieved no initial letters from Scottish power

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