Moving (rented) home &in arrears.

kingofbones

I have my g&e with Scottish Hydro Electric.
I stupidly switched to them when the salesman told me I was paying Scottish power 'rent' for the equipment and should only be paying £36/36 each way. I logged a complaint via internet on 12/04 and have yet to hear anything. (As a side note, any link to a template letter would be much! appreciated)

Anyway, the point. My landlord is selling the property so the agency has served me with my notice. Before they will realise the deposit back to me they want proof that my council tax and g&e is paid. Ctax is fine, g&e is not. Clearly, my usage was much higher.

I am on a payment plan with Hydro but have no facility to clear the arrears before departing - the deposit is not an option, I am using it for a new house and taking it with me also isn't an option as I am moving in to a serviced apartment.

I phoned them, as basically I want to confirm there is no arrears at the property, so I can carry on paying them, but also see the return of the deposit. Hydro say not possible, must take them as a provider with me.

This surely cannot be right? There must be a way, as the arrears and debt belong to me, that I can continue paying it off but also get a letter to tell my agency as such?

Terrylw1

No supplier can force you to be with them at a property other than the Deemed contract rule where if you move into a property, you are with current supplier until you switch.

If you owe them for utilities on the current property, you are in arrears so that's all they can say.

Once you have left, you tell them the new address. The landlord is not liable for payments of utilities if it was in your tenancy agreement that you are liable. On this basis, when you have left, they are not liable hence get your deposit back. If you have to get it back sooner but your utilities are in arrears, that's an issue to discuss with the landlord as the supplier is just asking for payment.

macman

You can't transfer the debt (or credit). Any arrears will need to be cleared when you submit your closing reading and receive your final bill.
Accounts cannot be transferred betwwen properties-a new account is set up for a new property.
You willl anyway be in a deemed account with the existing supplier at the new property.