British Gas disconnected me, I'm not the bill addressee?

Adam900

Hi guys

Sorry to ask for help in my first post but a bit confused. I moved into this rented property around 7 months ago. I was informed by a neighbour that they pay annually, but as to the validity of this I don't know as its a group of students.

Today I returned home to find the gas had been disconnected and fitted with a prepaid meter with a note saying they will deduct £10 every week as I have not paid.

Now I receive a lot of mail at the address, all for different names as it is typically a short-term rental property (9 mnoths average). And the estate agent has instructed us to discard all mail on other names, unless of course someone comes around to pick it up - which they will inform us of.

It is obviuosly apparent there were further arrears than my 7 months based upon people who were previously here, and bills issued to their name, rather than me.

So my question is, is this disconnection vaild? What can I do? And what should I do? I need the gas back on as the huose suffers poor insulation and is very cold!

Gothicfairy

when you moved in did you call BG and get the account set up in your name or did you just leave it ?

If they did not know someone new had moved in and no one paid the bills what else could they do ?

I would supply them with your tenancy agreement showing the date you took over and see what they offer, I should think the meter though will stay as you can't have paid them a thing for 7 months anyway but they should remove the debt from the last tenants and just make you pay your own debt but without a meter reading from the date you moved in it will only be guess work anyway so you might end up having to pay more then you think you should anyway.

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

Nobody pays for gas annually - it is enough of a risk giving unknown people credit for 3 months, let alone 12 months; we are talking about hundreds of pounds.

You should have contacted BG when you moved it to give them meter readings and set up an account.

Amongst the letters you discarded would probably be several bills and warning letters(in the previous occupants name?) about getting a Court order to have a prepayment meter fitted.

So assuming they got a court order(against the previous occupants) then the disconnection is valid.

You haven't much of a leg to stand on because you didn't notify BG when you moved in. It is a bit late now to try and apportion the outstanding amount between you and the previous tenant.

What happens about the electricity bills - are they in your name?

Adam900

No I did not, I was (wrongly?) informed by the estate agents that British Gas would come out with a registration form of some kind, and then it would go from there.

Anytmie I called British Gas, they wouldn't speak to me as I didn't know the security password that the previosu tenants had set.

So there's no real way I can get them to take off the prepaid meter and start paying in arrears again?

What about changing provider?

Adam900

Electricity are also with British Gas. Same problem as before - don't know security password, can't get anywhere.

Gothicfairy

Password aside, you should have been able to set up a new account as a new tenant as that had nothing to do with the last tenant and their password.

The only thing you can do now is to supply your tenancy agreement and get BG to take it from that date, although as said unless you have the meter reading from the date you moved in it is all down to guess work anyway.

I also don't think you can change provider when there is a debt with one (or at least I hope you can't as that would just be plain wrong)

Gerrard_8_lfc

You have stayed in a property for 7 months and never registered with BG giving them the opening meter read ?. They have installed a prepay meter due to 7 months worth of debt send an email to them and explain you moved in 7 months ago and pay what ever is due then they may remove the meters but the bottom line is you have used 7 months worth of energy and it has to be paid for.

BG will not alow you to switch or remove the meters until such time as the debt is cleared.

Cardew

Gerrard_8_lfc wrote: »

You have stayed in a property for 7 months and never registered with BG giving them the opening meter read ?. They have installed a prepay meter due to 7 months worth of debt send an email to them and explain you moved in 7 months ago and pay what ever is due then they may remove the meters but the bottom line is you have used 7 months worth of energy and it has to be paid for.

BG will not alow you to switch or remove the meters until such time as the debt is cleared.

Ah but it is worse than that!

He believes he has also 'inherited' the debt owed by the previous tenant - which has been 'put on' the pre-payment meter.

BG are not going to attempt to sort out a division of responsibility between the old occupant and OP.

t0rt0ise

As Cardew says you are probably paying off the previous tenant's debt and you need to sort this out quickly. You need to tell British Gas what has happened and if they don't do anything, raise a complaint. The complaint guys sort things out more quickly.

spiro

Adam900 wrote: »

No I did not, I was (wrongly?) informed by the estate agents that British Gas would come out with a registration form of some kind, and then it would go from there.

How do you think BG would know you have moved in? Crystal ball perhaps. When you moved in did the LL (obviously not a good one) take and agree meter readings for gas and elec? BG cant talk to you about the 'old' account but they can set one up in your name as explained.

In your position I think the best thing you can do with BG is to write a letter to them including a copy of your tenancy agreement (which proves when you moved in) and the meter readings taken when you moved in. I would also provide them with details of the LL as they may contact them for details of the debtors. They should remove the old tenants debts from your meter but they may still charge you for the warrant and meter exchange which typically adds a couple of hundred pound to the debt. Until all this is cleared you are unlikely to be able to change supplier unless the new supplier is willing to take on the debt.