Crunch time- unregistered electricity meter, can you help?

inventors

I posted on here a while ago about my unregistered electricity problem. I received some very helpful replies and was able to work out what I think the problem was. I am renting a flat in a block of four flats and although there are four meters all with MPAN numbers, none are registered to the individual flats. Consequently I've never received a bill (moved in 2005) neither had the outgoing tenant. It's most likely a case of an unregistered supply (ie no meter registered to my flat) or simply slack billing by the supplier.

I am now about to move out and am not sure whether to flag this problem up or not. I feel I have two choices of how to deal with the situation and I'd really appreciate anyone's advice.


Choice 1.
I can say nothing and move out. The supplier has no record of me being there. Whenever the new tenants move in they will presumably start a new account. Does anyone know if this will be a 'fresh' account- or will they have to go into the whole history of the current unregistered supply? (where it will could all unravel.)

Choice 2.
I can flag it with the company that deals with the flat now and say,'look, I've been organising final utilities and just making sure we are both clear that there is no electricity bill. They may well say, no this isn't right, and we will have to try work out the mess between us (and yes, I may well get a big bill.)

The BIG but is that I will most likely have to provide final readings when I move out and I cant do this. I could take a reading from what I think is my meter and leave that, but if i have to show a final bill as well then I'm stuffed. All | can think to do is plead ignorance and explain that the previous tenant told me there was no electricity bill (this is true, it's what he told me) and I (perhaps ignorantly) never questioned that. There is also the question of what happened when the last tenant moved out- didn't anyone want to see his final readings? And why didn't the landlord set the supply up properly in the first place?

For me though, the question is whether I deal with this now openly and say look, what's the situation here, or move out and wait and see taking a more ignorance is bliss stance.
Any advice is gratefully appreciated. I move out on Saturday and have a inventory check on this place a week later. It feels like crunch time..

KimYeovil

This is hardly the appropriate place for such a silly question. Nothing to do with this forum.

Premier_2

Why can't you provide meter readings? Were they not taken and agreed when you moved in? Surely the electricity is going through one of the meters? 4 flats, 4 meters - my guess is one each.


As to whether you think you should contact anyone about using electricity for 5 years without being charged yet - that is a decision that I'll leave to your moral conscience as I'm sure you know the answer.

inventors

Premier wrote: »

Why can't you provide meter readings? Were they not taken and agreed when you moved in? Surely the electricity is going through one of the meters? 4 flats, 4 meters - my guess is one each.


As to whether you think you should contact anyone about using electricity for 5 years without being charged yet - that is a decision that I'll leave to your moral conscience as I'm sure you know the answer.

four meters yes, but none attached to any of the individual flats addresses. when i moved in i wasn't given any meter readings or info and was told by the outgoing tenant that the flat wasn't being billed. when i couldn't find out the supplier i left it- my mistake, but i think it's clear none of the meters were registered in the first place

Joyful

Surely you can switch off the electricity supply and see which meter does not move?

Haarlem

No Supplier, or for that matter the Distributor will be particularly interested in the problem, as they are not losing money. They do not take a hit as the revenue lost is regarded as part of system losses averaged out over the industry.

I know because I worked on a project to get these situations regularised, but the plug was pulled when it was realised that all customers pay for the losses in the use of system charge that Distributors make, and it was not worth the effort to find those not paying.

inventors

Haarlem wrote: »

No Supplier, or for that matter the Distributor will be particularly interested in the problem, as they are not losing money. They do not take a hit as the revenue lost is regarded as part of system losses averaged out over the industry.

I know because I worked on a project to get these situations regularised, but the plug was pulled when it was realised that all customers pay for the losses in the use of system charge that Distributors make, and it was not worth the effort to find those not paying.

yes, i've also heard many similar stories. but i'm still going to have to tell the landlord when i move out. Any advice on what i need to do? find supplier phone them up? or does the landlord do this? I'm prepared to pay for what i owe, i just need to know how to go about sorting it out

patman99

Does your service charge include electricity?, it could be that the reason that you have not received any bills is that the meters may be registered to your landlord.

inventors

patman99 wrote: »

Does your service charge include electricity?, it could be that the reason that you have not received any bills is that the meters may be registered to your landlord.

that's something i will ask the landlord and letting agents, but it doesn't say so on the lease.

patman99

Have you thought about asking your neighbours?.

Mupette

this thread caught my eye as i have recently moved into a new build.

I found out who supplies the electricity.

but no one can tell me who supplies the gas


electricity company sent bills to this address for the landlord (local authority) so i informed them of my tenancy start date, to take over the account, assumed they did the gas as well, but no they don't.

i gathered all the details off all the stickers on the gas meter for the electric company so they could see who was my supplier... nothing came up.

moved suppliers and even the new company cannot find who supplies the gas, they checked with transco (or who ever they are now)

Great free gas, i should be happy, but these things do have a habit of biting you on the bum further down the line.