Tenant ran up huge debts and meters were changed for prepaid

lozzaman

We have finally managed to evict a tenant from our property. Fortunately there is no damage to the property. Anyway, when we went to read the meters we noticed they have been replaced from the old standard meters to prepay meters.

Both the gas and electricity is currently on but on emergency credit of which there is about £3 left on the electric and about £4.50 on the gas. The electric meter is indicating a standing charge of £15.50/wk presumably to pay back a debt.

We have contacted the present supplier (Utility Warehouse) sending them a copy of the court document and requesting prepayment cards/keys. We will be leaving Utility Warehouse as E.On (our previous supplier) has offered to change the meters to standard postpay meters free of charge.

Two weeks have now passed and Utility Warehouse do not seem to be moving forward (they originally stated 5 days) on sorting this situation out, advising that it "just takes time" - we need to move back into this property, which isn't going to be very good without gas or electricity. Short of re-wiring round the meter or using a diesel generator is there any way we can get the power back on? Is there an escalation path we can take as 2 weeks is surely too long of having to chase this up?

Thanks!

spiro

I would do 2 things:
1) Use up all the emergency credit on both meters so you have no gas/elec and then phone UW and say you are off supply. They then have 3hrs from the time of the phone call to restore gas/elec.
2) Start the transfer process to E-On, given that you have only done a Change of Tenant with UW ask E-On for the shortest registration date possible. The Supply Start Date can be as early as the next working day but most suppliers wont do less than 1 week.