Sizeable debt owed by landlord

freeasabird

We moved into a rental property after a fire at our home. The landlord has given our details to EDF who want to check the meter. They say there is a sizeable debt owed on the property..

Will I be liable to for any period before we moved in? Also EDF wouldn't be my choice of supplier.

Should I let them read the meter and in the meantime get another company to take over as from the 1st April when we moved in?

This is a really stressful time for us and we cannot cope with a large bill that we didn't run up.

KimYeovil

No, you are not liable for a single penny of the existing debt. Make sure you have a current reading (and don't misplace it.) Do you have readings from when you moved in as well? You only pay from 1st April.

You have to register at first with the company the existing supply was with (ie EDF, I presume, which the landlord has done). You can now apply to switch to your choice of supplier. This will take a further six to eight weeks.

spiro

Dont rely on the Landlord doing it. Contact EDF yourself and tell them the date you moved in and the meter reading on that date (I presume you took one). If you did not take a reading then read it today and photograph the meter showing the reading if you can with todays paper next to it to prove the date it was taken.

Make sure you keep a copy of the tenancy agreement because if there is any dispute on the bill you will need this a proof of the date you moved in and therefore became liable for the bill.

Cardew

spiro wrote: »

If you did not take a reading then read it today and photograph the meter showing the reading if you can with todays paper next to it to prove the date it was taken.

.

Let me think about that!;)

My current meter reading is 123456

I happen to have a copy of a newspaper dated 05 August 2009.

If today I take a photograph of the meter with that particular paper does it prove that the meter reading on 05 AUGUST 2009 was 123456?

So tomorrow when the meter man reads the meter and it has increased by 10 units, I can 'prove' that I have only used 10 units in 9 months!;)

JasX

yes, better still get a paper dated 1st April

BargainGalore

The digital picture also contains time/date amongst other things like flash/exposure obviously a photograph wont. That should prove it also. Some cameras will even show the date on photo

Cardew

BargainGalore wrote: »

The digital picture also contains time/date amongst other things like flash/exposure obviously a photograph wont. That should prove it also. Some cameras will even show the date on photo

The date/time on a digital photo(should you choose to display it) uses the data that is set by yourself.

I can set the date time on my camera to anything I wish. I could produce a photo I took today 'proving' that I took it on 05 August 2009 or 05 August 2010!

BargainGalore

Yes you are right you can do that but few people would think of that when setting up the camera

Cardew wrote: »

The date/time on a digital photo(should you choose to display it) uses the data that is set by yourself.

I can set the date time on my camera to anything I wish. I could produce a photo I took today 'proving' that I took it on 05 August 2009 or 05 August 2010!

JasX

we digress,

OP just get the reading today and make sure EDF have it, have setup a completly new account in your name only and it starts from the date you moved in, if you didn;t take a reading when you moved in EDF should be able to estimate it based on your next couple of months typical useage.....

freeasabird

It took a while but EDF have billed us only from the period that we moved into the property.

Thank you. :)