Can Landlord Dictate who Provides your Energy?

Thrugelmir

Running a business of any kind with multiple locations. It is administratively easier to sign all utilities to one supplier. Often for a contracted period at a fixed rate.

Far greater savings can often be made by economical use of the ulities themselves rather than the rates themselves, which constantly change.

I'm not defending LL's particularly just putting across the business view. As time is money.

puddy

but its not the ll paying the bill its the tenant, so who gets the convenience.

i would also add that this, like any other business involves aspects of administration, so to take half a day to find out where the utility supplier was, whilst frustrating, is part of the day to day business of letting, if you dont like it, dont let a property

Mankysteve

Just get require the tenet to provide you with copies of final bills before returning deposits. Simples you get a copy of Gas and eleci bills with account details and who the supplier is problem solved.

DrScotsman

Mankysteve wrote: »

Just get require the tenet to provide you with copies of final bills before returning deposits. Simples you get a copy of Gas and eleci bills with account details and who the supplier is problem solved.

Even simpler would be just requiring the tenant to tell you who the supplier is when they give their notice (providing the property doesn't have problems being identified by address like mine, in which case I'd go with a bill).

If a landlord doesn't want to have any difficulty they'll put a term like one of these in their contract and there's little way they can lose out. If the tenant doesn't comply it'd be easy to take the inconvenience caused out of their deposit, it's hardly an unfair term. "Don't change supplier" is easily an unfair term which will make the landlord lose out as it won't be enforceable.

sequence

You can't withhold the deposit because they won't tell you who the supplier is or pay the bill.

No point wasting time putting unenforceable clause in the contract.

DrScotsman

sequence wrote: »

You can't withhold the deposit because they won't tell you who the supplier is or pay the bill.

No point wasting time putting unenforceable clause in the contract.

You can withhold portions of the deposit for losses incurred, am I wrong?

Much like how if leave the property unclean on departure the landlord can charge you both for the cleaning and his time wasted arranging it, spending half a day calling suppliers is something he can clearly claim for.

Wee_Willy_Harris

DrScotsman wrote: »

You can withhold portions of the deposit for losses incurred, am I wrong?

Much like how if leave the property unclean on departure the landlord can charge you both for the cleaning and his time wasted arranging it, spending half a day calling suppliers is something he can clearly claim for.

Half a day? Are you suggesting that the landlord visits every supplier personally? It takes just one phone call to identify a supplier.

And, of course, for this "condition" to be fair, it would have to be reciprocal. So, how much can a tenant charge for reporting a repair?

DrScotsman

Wee_Willy_Harris wrote: »

Half a day? Are you suggesting that the landlord visits every supplier personally? It takes just one phone call to identify a supplier.

Well GDB2222 said "the best part of a day". I shouldn't have said half a day, but rather a significant portion. I too would have presumed it'd take about 10 minutes to find out which supplier, but I'm taking his word for it for now.

And, of course, for this "condition" to be fair, it would have to be reciprocal. So, how much can a tenant charge for reporting a repair?

For a start reporting a repair IS a small phone call. However I'm not sure I agree with your definition of fair.

UTCCR wrote:

A contractual term which has not been individually negotiated shall be regarded as unfair if, contrary to the requirement of good faith, it causes a significant imbalance in the parties' rights and obligations arising under the contract, to the detriment of the consumer.

Requiring the tenant to spend 10 seconds talking to the landlord to potentially save him the best part of a day causes a significant imbalance? Contrarily to the requirement of good faith? I doubt it.

GDB2222

Wee_Willy_Harris wrote: »

Half a day? Are you suggesting that the landlord visits every supplier personally? It takes just one phone call to identify a supplier.

Well, it starts with however long it takes to travel to the property to get the meter numbers. Then phoning around - not just one phone call. There's also a learning curve to find out whom to phone. It's not that hard, but it's a PITA if you have a full-time job to do. Not such a problem if you are retired, I guess. A number of reasonable remedies have been suggested above, which I agree with, and checking my current tenancy agreement I note that it doesn't have anything in telling the tenant not to change energy suppliers.

DrScotsman

GDB2222 wrote: »

Well, it starts with however long it takes to travel to the property to get the meter numbers.

[strike]You can't defend that, you should have the numbers written down![/strike]

EDIT: Wait, I assumed you meant the meter serial numbers. Did you mean meter readings?