Help with utility supplies for repossessed property...?

ernie-money

Hi,
I am looking for some advise please. About to complete on a repossessed property on Friday, and I am wondering about arranging utility suppliers. We don't know who previously supplied utilities, do we need to know this, so that we can contact them and ask them to reconnect the property, or can we just approach the cheapest provider...?
Then, can we (in true mse style) go via uswitch and get cashback for changing providers, or does the reconnection have to be done over the phone...?
Also, for anyone who is familiar with the process, is there anything esle we should think about...?
Many thanks to anyone who can offer some advise!
Mia

Gazing_On_Sunsets

Hello!

I bought a repo and completed on 18th Jan so am currently going through all this. I knew who the water suppliers were because that was in the (otherwise sparse!} info pack. I didn't know the gas and electric.

When I finally got into to the property I found two pre payment card meters in the cellar. One had a British Gas card stuck in it, so I rang them first. They were obviously quite keen to get me to sign up for dual fuel, and had access to some kind of system to be able to tell me that my Electic was currently with Eon. I also got the Eon phone number from the nice man at BG, heh heh.

I want to change my meters ASAP but there is a sticking point: the BG man said I had failed their internal credit check. I queried this, and they said I did not have 12 months of bills on account with them. Well, no, that's true, I was living in an unheated cottage with no gas supply! I requested an external credit check but they were unable to complete it at the time. This is something I will be pursuing. I am not paying prepayment meter prices!

The elec was easy, I phoned Eon, they confirmed it was they who supplied me, and they gave me instructions for buying a new card which would clear the debts so I would not be paying for the previous occupier. ON NO ACCOUNT must you use any cards left behind! Their tariffs may be set higher to pay off old debts. I popped to the newsagent and bingo, I had power.

Gas has taken longer. BG send out new gas cards BUT I found that as the property had been empty, the posties weren't delivering as they all knew the letetrbox was boarded up. It was a week before I timed my arrival to collar one and let them know it was now occupied. Then when I got the gas card, it didn't work. But BG sent a bloke out within 4 hours who replaced the meter for me. To another card one unfortunately, that's an ongoing battle.

I haven't moved in properly: lots of renovation to do, and 2 weeks left to do it.

I found all the suppliers very helpful, and it seems that if you ring one and you're not with them they seem to be able to tell you who you ARE with. Then they will try and flog you their deals of course.

BG did tell me that my elec was with Eon and if I wanted to switch to BG for that too, then I had to reconnect with Eon first and then switch.

It's all been done by phone. I also phoned BG off my mobile and they phoned me back to save me the cash; worth asking if they don't offer.

Fire_Fox

Same query has come up twice in the last month - worth running a search on the board.

ernie-money

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Same query has come up twice in the last month - worth running a search on the board.

I did run a search, but not always that easy to find threads on here. I've tried again, but still no luck, would you mind posting a link to them, as I'd love to read?

ernie-money

Thanks for long reply Gazing on sunsets! Just to clarify - did they all reconnect you without charging you for it?

Gwhiz

All you should need is to provide the new supplier your details. They SHOULD be able to look up the incumbent and inform them.

Gazing_On_Sunsets

Yes, there was no charge for reconnection! Eon was instant: I went and bought a card. BG took longer as they had to send me a card.

I am aware that BT charge to reconnect you to a landline. However TalkTalk seem to have a deal for new lines if you take broadband with them too, so I will look into that when I have cash left over from all the other nonsense of moving... plastering, carpeting, getting a fridge and so on. I put my landline pretty low down on the list of essentials!

ernie-money

Thanks for that!
Agree with you there, not sure if we'll even bother with a landline, not for a good while anyway...

ginvzt

Here are a few threads:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2023421&highlight=repo+utilities
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1959755&highlight=repo+utilities
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1792345&highlight=repo+utilities
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2270233&highlight=repo