Eon Prepayment meter - Want to switch to a credit meter - help!

MartinPC_2

echoecho,

We live in a world of tenancy deposit schemes etc, the authorities have tightened things up to protect tenants from being wrongly charged by landlords etc.

A landlord, under some 99% of tenancy agreements, has no right to interfere, deduct monies, take payment, etc. from a tenant for that tenant's utility bills, this is a favoured scam by less than honest landlords, to withhold or take monies from a tenant for unpaid utility bills or until the tenant can prove these bills are paid, these bills are strictly between the account holder, the tenant, and the utility company and, legally, are nothing to do with the landlord.

At the end of my tenancy we need to reconcile monies etc. and if I were to pay £50 for a utility bill that is addressed to the landlord then the landlord would be leaving himself open to me subsequently suing him for the return of this £50 etc. as there is nothing in the tenancy agreement whereas I am responsible for paying the landlord's bills and Eon are insistent that that this is the landlord's, not my, bill to pay.

Eon have agreed, dictated, that they will change the meter only after I have vacated the property but they simply will not accept that I pay, I be responsible for, this charge, that this charge be addressed to me rather than the next occupier (the landlord).

I can only presume that some clown in a suit somewhere has decided this and without sound reasoning, Eon introduced a policy whereas they will not change a meter for an account holder with a history of arrears and, for no sound reason, if they won't change the meter for that account holder then they cannot accept payment, prepayment, from that account holder for a meter change.

My landlord has had heated discussions regarding this with Eon, he's spoken with a manager, Eon insist that they cannot bill the tenant for this charge and insist, it is their 'set in stone' policy, that the next occupier is responsible for this charge.

Whilst such a crazy situation remains the landlord would be in breach of the tenancy agreement were he to ask me to pay or take my monies, all Eon have to do is accept that this charge is my responsibilty to pay and, bearing in mind I was previously informed there would be no removal charge, even if I refused/declined to pay then the landlord would have grounds to deduct from my security deposit because, under the tenancy agreement, I am responsible for any reconnection charges but Eon will not accept that I am responsible for this charge despite having received this request/instruction from both of us!

SwanJon

MartinPC wrote: »

the landlord would be in breach of the tenancy agreement were he to ask me to pay or take my monies,!

What if he had to replace/repair a fitting in the house - I assume he would be entitled to recover this from your deposit? Could this not be seen as the same situation - a payment required from you to return the property to the state it was when your tenancy began

MartinPC wrote: »

all Eon have to do is accept that this charge is my responsibilty to pay

Why? They have made a commercial decision not to offer you credit. They can't charge you for a job and then not complete it. They have made a commercial decision to credit check anyone changing from a prepayment meter to quarterly. This cannot be done without their permission, and pretty much without setting up an account*.
You are suggesting that they take money from you for a job that they may not do? Surely egoecho's solution is quick & sensible - why not do that?

MartinPC_2

SwanJon,

Eon, obvuiously in the case of a non payment, insist upon a prepayment for the change of meter, whoever makes this prepayment Eon are taking money, in advance, for a job they may not do.

With regards to replacing a content or fixture or fitting I'm presuming this is an extremely grey area, at best, because a utility meter is not the property of, not owned by, the landlord, it is the property of, and owned by, an authority.

There is no specific mention in the tenancy agreement of changing meters, the nearest the TA refers to such is 'reconnection' but even this is a grey area because the electricity hasn't been disconnected, it's being provided via a different metering system.

I'm not asking for Eon to offer me credit, as I've said they demand payment in advance for this work!

My landlord has always done things as per the tenancy agreement, so have I, I would not have permitted the PPM to be installed in the first instance had I not been assured that I could have it removed once my arrears were cleared, at the time I permitted it to be installed there was no charge payable for removing it but that's another issue, the problem is that Eon refuse to accept my request/instruction to remove it despite confirmations from both myself and my landlord that I am vacating the property on X date.

My landlord, as per the tenancy agreement, is doing things legally and he can't take my monies until such time as Eon stop demanding that it is his responsibility to pay this charge when it is not his responsibilty to pay this charge.

Premier_2

SwanJon wrote: »

... They have made a commercial decision not to offer you credit. ...

I get the feeling it is this fundamental principle that the MartinPC is failing to grasp, and no matter what is posted, will still fail to grasp.

MartinPC_2

Premier,

Please grasp that there is no suggestion of offering me, nor I asking for, credit because Eon demand a payment in advance before they will even arrange for the meter to be changed and Eon's staff instructions from Eon's 'Knowledge Centre' dictates that this payment is made by credit/debit card.

davidgmmafan

"If it costs money to uninstall a meter then it costs the equivalent amount to install it in the first instance, do Eon charge the previous occupier, the occupier before the debtor, or indeed any occupier, for the installation of the prepayment meter ..... and if not, then why not, I keep hearing "we have to pass on our charges"?"

They wouldn't charge for installation of a prepayment meter for a number of reasons, some have already been mentiong. Firstly it stops the possibility of having the write the balance off, secondly it is a pretty efficient way of collecting the balance owing AND ensuring such a debit does not build up again.

Finally can you imagine the uproar the already hated utility companies started charging to instal a prepayment meter (before the court stage)? They take the hit on the costs to install for the reasons given above.

The removal has no tangible benefit for them, other than retaining the custom at that address for the future. Clearly in some cases the policy they have chosen makes this unlikely to be the case.

I presume the landlord odesn't have the requisite previous account with E.On showing a good payment history? Here's another thing I've just considered too why does it have to be E.On? Presumably the LL has been paying utility bills for SOMEWHERE they will have been occupying. Why can't E.On accept say a years worth of bills (and the fact the landlord owns a substantial assest, perhaps tow ie property!) that the landlord, having no connection to the tenant, is good for the money?

echoecho_2

I have no idea regarding the law around tenancy agreements, but wouldn't it be easier for the landlord to deduct £50.00 from your deposit and you sign something saying you are ok with this?

Are you not just complicating matters?

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

MartinPC wrote: »

Malc,

In your previous post you say that I, the tenant, can pay the £50 charge so why, when my landlord is telephoning Eon, are Eon's staff, including a manager, insisting, refusing to budge, that my landlord, not I, is responsible for paying this £50 charge, that he must pay it and this is not negotiable whereas I could be considered responsible for the charge?

Thanks
Martin

Hi Martin

Just to clarify; whilst the account remains in your name, it's very unlikely we will agree to change the meter. Consequently, we will not be able to take any form of payment from anyone against a possible future meter swap which may or may not go ahead.

Once you have given up responsibility for the electricity and a new account is opened in the landlord's name, he can apply for a meter change. If this is agreed, we will accept a credit/debit card payment. You can pay this if you wish in a similar way to that suggested by echoecho.

As long as you give permission to take the fee from your card, we will be happy to do this but only when we have agreed to change the meter.

Hope this clarifies this particular issue Martin.

Malc

davidgmmafan

But in most cases the tenant will be gone and the new occupant or even the owner would be lumbered with the fee?

MartinPC_2

Malc,

Correct me if I am wrong but are utility providers not required, by regulation, to inform customers of changes in tariffs and within a specified time period of perhaps 60 days of the tariff change taking place?