Extortionate

littlebatt

A friend of mine who rents her house is charged £150 EVERY MONTH by her landlord for her electricty. She has to pay by prepayment card. When she approached the company acting on his behalf about this she was told that this is what it was.

Other than going to Citizens Advise, is this legal? Her bill are not itemised and she is at her wits end. The amount doesn't contribute towards winter bills - it's the same all year round.

Any help would be most welcome so that I can pass on advice to her.

Many thanks

Premier_2

I don't understand.

You say she pays the money to her LL, but also say she has to pay via pre-payment card. :huh:

Either way, she presumably has a meter, and she will be required to pay for what that meter says she has consumed. I don't understand why the amount does not vary throughout the year. Almost everyone has higher consumption (and so costs) during the darker, colder winter months.

chris1973

A friend of mine who rents her house is charged £150 EVERY MONTH by her landlord for her electricty. She has to pay by prepayment card. When she approached the company acting on his behalf about this she was told that this is what it was.

This doesn't make any sense. Are you saying that she pays her Landlord £150 a month for Electricity and then ALSO has to pay a utility company by using a prepayment card for the same thing?.

Ultrasonic

More information needed as others have said, but on the face of it, it sounds like your friend may be seriously overpaying for electricity. Does she live on her own?

littlebatt wrote: »

The amount doesn't contribute towards winter bills - it's the same all year round.

This is a minor point, but for what it's worth paying a fixed amount per month does 'contribute towards winter bills'. A fixed monthly payment results in underpaying over the winter and overpaying in the summer - this is exactly what everyone paying fixed monthly direct debits does.

littlebatt

Premier wrote: »

I don't understand.

You say she pays the money to her LL, but also say she has to pay via pre-payment card. :huh:

Either way, she presumably has a meter, and she will be required to pay for what that meter says she has consumed. I don't understand why the amount does not vary throughout the year. Almost everyone has higher consumption (and so costs) during the darker, colder winter months.

My friend has to pay £150 on a card top up - not sure that I understand it myself - neither does she which is why am trying to find out some answers for her. She appears to have an ordinary meter, has had it checked by the relevant electricity company. On

There seems to be no build up of credit either! I am concerned that it is a scam.

littlebatt

chris1973 wrote: »

This doesn't make any sense. Are you saying that she pays her Landlord £150 a month for Electricity and then ALSO has to pay a utility company by using a prepayment card for the same thing?.

No - sorry she doesn't pay her landlord £150 - that is what he and the company running the house for him charge via the electricity company.

She goes somewhere to pay £150 per month and has been told that there is never anything left over. I am all electric - identical to hers (though not rented) and I only pay £50 per month that ends up in credit.

littlebatt

Ultrasonic wrote: »

More information needed as others have said, but on the face of it, it sounds like your friend may be seriously overpaying for electricity. Does she live on her own?



This is a minor point, but for what it's worth paying a fixed amount per month does 'contribute towards winter bills'. A fixed monthly payment results in underpaying over the winter and overpaying in the summer - this is exactly what everyone paying fixed monthly direct debits does.

She lives with partner and baby, but I know that she is very careful, switiching lights of etc and is also out in the day time.

Something not quite right going on

crazyguy

She is by the sounds of things paying previous tennants arrears on an outstanding debt, I would contact the actual company supplying the electric to try and verify this as if it is the case she needs to stop paying any arrears that are not down to her own doing, sounds like a dodgy landlord to me.

And also look to getting the extra amounts paid refunded,

littlebatt

crazyguy wrote: »

She is by the sounds of things paying previous tennants arrears on an outstanding debt, I would contact the actual company supplying the electric to try and verify this as if it is the case she needs to stop paying any arrears that are not down to her own doing, sounds like a dodgy landlord to me.

And also look to getting the extra amounts paid refunded,

She is the first tenant - very bizarre

Thanks for your help - she really must go to citizens advice

crazyguy

littlebatt wrote: »

She is the first tenant - very bizarre

Thanks for your help - she really must go to citizens advice

Well then its the LL's debt she seems to be paying,

Seriously £150.00 a month just for electric £1800.00 a year is an awful lot to be paying,

ricky9

Your friend may have a sub meter fitted this is where the landlord has a main meter and pays the bill to electric company and then landlord resells the electric to your friend.
The maximum amount landlords or “resellers” are permitted to charge for gas or electricity is the amount they have paid for it, plus VAT at the appropriate rate; this is termed the Maximum Resale Price or MRP. Any standing charges can be recovered by the Landlord by dividing it on a pro-rata basis according to usage between all the tenants.
http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Consumers/Documents1/11782-resaleupdateoct05.pdf