Do Electricity companies have right of entry to a property or do they need a warrant?

KTP1_2

My meter is in a communal area in the building where I live which is a Victorian terrace split into two flats.

No payment has been made for electricity into my flat since the building was converted six years ago.

The electricity company have suddenly realized that the meter – which is wrongly listed against the other flat has not been paid for.

They have sent a letter to an old owner at the other flat arranging an appointment to inspect the meter, under pretext of safety.

If there is no reply when they arrive what would be their next step ?

Would they just force entry there and then or would they then have to apply for a warrant? Would it complicate matters if they got a warrant for the neighbouring flat even though the meter is in a communal area and supplies my flat?

Do they need to remove the meter to stop electricity coming into the flat?

If they did gain entry and removed the meter what would they require to reconnect it.
And how much time and hassle would it take them to reconnect?
What would they require in return? The whole amount owed?

Is it likely they would remove it there and then or would they try and establish which flat it supplies electricity to and try to recover the money.

Is there any other way of disconnecting the electricity other than removing the meter?

I have only lived there for two of the six years since the flat was converted – would the whole amount be required to be repaid to avoid disconnection/enable reconnection?

Cardew

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/35918923#Comment_35918923

As said before, you are liable for the whole 2 years.

This is a money saving website - not a 'how to defraud an electricity company' website.

KTP1_2

Thanks for your interest but its not fraud.

It is infact the electricity company's !!!! up - they failed to bill the correct flat(or indeed the wrong flat) - long before I moved in.
Neither I nor the previous residents had any obligation to correct their incompetence.

If you bother to read this post I'm not enquiring about liablility - this was answered previously here and elsewhere.

For any constructive posters - what I want to know is what the electricity company are going to do now? Gain entry with or without a warrant? Also do they have to notify me to do this?

macman

You may not be under any obligation to 'correct their incompetence', but you are still under an obligation to pay for the electricity consumed since you moved in-do you not accept that?

jd87

OP - the amount you have to pay isn't determined by what they bill you for, all that matters is what you have actually used.

Joyful

Why would it be the companies fault if the person that split the flats did not advise the industry? If I was you I would stop it going to a warrant which is what will happen if they don't get access. Own up and call them. They may then treat you leniently and allow time to pay off the amount which you are due to pay.

KTP1_2

I think most of you seem to be too high on your moral horses to notice the point of the original post.
Its not about liability, which is a quite seperate issue.

The point of my post was to establish what the electricity company are likely to do next.

And yes - if a company provides a service, doesn't realise they are doing this and so doesn't invoice for it - I'd call that a quite incompetent way to run their business.

grahamc2003

KTP1 wrote: »

I think most of you seem to be too high on your moral horses to notice the point of the original post.
Its not about liability, which is a quite seperate issue.

The point of my post was to establish what the electricity company are likely to do next.

And yes - if a company provides a service, doesn't realise they are doing this and so doesn't invoice for it - I'd call that a quite incompetent way to run their business.

Maybe so, but likewise, people using (I'm tempted to use another more accurate word instead of 'using') electricity without a supply agreement and continue using the electricity for a period of years knowing all the information necessary to correct the situation isn't really the most moral behaviour. You seem confident your actions aren't fraudulent - I'm not so sure, especially when your motives are freely available for anyone to read.

KTP1_2

More moral judgement! - somehow I doubt I'll be seeing prison - on this one at least!

Anyone got anything useful on what the electricity company are likely to do next.

mac.d

KTP1 wrote: »

They have sent a letter to an old owner at the other flat arranging an appointment to inspect the meter, under pretext of safety.

While their ultimate aim will be to get the money they are owed and they need to inspect the meter and get a reading to do this properly, the supplier isn't just using safety as an excuse. They have a legal requirement to check gas meters every 2 years for safety reasons, the rules on electric meters aren't as strict, but I *think* it's still necessary.

However, it's immaterial why they are trying to gain entry, as they have Rights of Entry under law and if you continue to ignore their letters, they will eventually apply for a warrant. Once they have the warrant they can force entry, then they'd either remove the meter and replace it with a pre-payment meter, or they could disconnect the supply (no need to remove the meter to do that) and you'd probably face a bill to reconnect it.

KTP1_2

Is it relevant that these letters are being sent to another person previously resident of the other flat rather than to me?