PrePay Utility Meters

hummy

Hi,

Just bought a property to let out and wanting advice with regards to the utility providers.
Is it worth going for prepay meters for both Electric and Gas so that tenants pay as they go for the services or should i assume that tenants will pay the bills using the normal billing method.

Dopes it cost anything to replace themeters for prepay? and the current providers are scottish power, so do i call them to change the meters or do i call someone else.

Thanks
Hummy

Annisele

As a tenant, I would actively avoid a property with pre-pay meters.

If you're letting out the whole property (rather than individual rooms) then the bills should be in the names of the tenants, and the tenants are responsible for paying them. If you're letting out individual rooms, then you might choose to keep the bills in your own name - in which case a pre-pay meter would be a real pain.

Jowo_2

Just call in your final meter readings for the existing meters before the tenants move in (take a photo of them, I had to call in my meter readings 3 times to my energy supplier). Make sure the AST makes clear that the tenants are responsible for all bills.

Vampgirl

I would never ever rent a property with pre-pay meters - the property would be off my list as soon as I found out about it (unless landlord was willing to change them back to standard ones before we moved in).