I am being denied access to my elec meter, please help

dustinjames

hi, started renting last week, flat, letting agent says i can not see elec meter, he said an electrician comes in few weeks, gets reading, emails him, and its dealt with as i receive a bill.

what are my rights?

he said my supplier is southern electric, i called them up, they said they have no record of me or my address on theier records.

i found one box and one cabinet i cant open. maybe these are meters?

can someone recognise these pics? first pic, no knobs on door, jsut need a special key to open.

i cant seem to upload a pic...the socket in the door is triangle shaped metal thing..door built into bathroom wall.

another little cream box in indoor hallway, cant open it, maybe a fuse box?

thankyou

shall i call my agent up again? refuse to sign the inventory as meter readings are left blank on their..... or shall i write to him as i hear that is more official.

penrhyn

Meter boxes look like this:-

http://www.meterboxes.co.uk/content/home.asp

wr1ght

meter boxes usually have triangle keys, you can buy the keys from b&q or similar

omen666

Cannot see how they can prevent you from access, am sure it is against the law regardless who owns the property

glider3560

wr1ght wrote: »

meter boxes usually have triangle keys, you can buy the keys from b&q or similar

You can also ask your supplier, who will usually send one for free.

spike7451

The was a bedsit over in Bangor a few years ago,the landlord their did'nt allow anyone access to the meter cupboard either.When one of the tennents got the NIE to come out & fit a pre-pay meter,they found the landlord had bypassed the electric meters & was also running a workshop from a garage out the back from the domestic supply!
He was prosecuted.

dustinjames

thankyou all.

doesnt look like the meter is in the flat. It must be outside somewhere, there are various locked up doors and cabinets in building, must be one of them.

Triangle key cabinet in bathroom was for water meter, got the reading.

Yes i will email agent asking who my supplier is and explain my concern for not being aware of my own meter reading on move in date last week, and still nobody knows the reading, its not been done yet.....sigh.....what a mess.

macman

So you haven't actually registered for the electricity account anyway? You should have done this as soon as you moved in, unless the electricty is incuded in your rent.
What does your AST agreement say about utility payments?

dustinjames

seems to be that way, if southern electric are my supplier as the agent said they would be.
i signed a paper to allow them to transfer and set up the utility bills in my name and the date was the moving in date.
electricity is not included in the rent. It is separate.
The AST says its my obligation to notify the water and elec suppliers that my tenancy has started and get the account names changed, and I need to arrange the readings at the end of tenancy. This is what the AST says. A few more things but they are not relevant at moment.

macman

So ask the landlord why (if you have signed the paperwork to be registered for the supply) SE have no record of supplying the address? Then you should be able to read your own meters and verify the readings, unless the meters are padlocked just get the appropriate key and take your own readings. I would refuse to pay any bills until you get access and confirmation of who is supplying you.
It's always better to do your own utility registration rather than relying on some agent to do it for you, furthermore you have probably been put on the most expensive standard tariff.

omen666

dustinjames wrote: »

seems to be that way, if southern electric are my supplier as the agent said they would be.
i signed a paper to allow them to transfer and set up the utility bills in my name and the date was the moving in date.
electricity is not included in the rent. It is separate.
The AST says its my obligation to notify the water and elec suppliers that my tenancy has started and get the account names changed, and I need to arrange the readings at the end of tenancy. This is what the AST says. A few more things but they are not relevant at moment.

I wouldnt let them dictate who I get my supply off. Not only that I dont want them having any sight of my bills or any access to my information with the relative companies. As noted above I et you are on the most ecpensive tarrif would find out if I was you and have a look at uswitch or similar