Moving house and getting utilities

jayk

Hi

Three years I was in similar situation, although paying utilities tey were not in my name. I had bad credit rating and this was prior to BR. Was very worried re setting up utilities in my new place. I had no problems in getting the services. Scotish power set service up but I had to agree to pay a weekly amount ( not pre payment meter- although they did offer this). After running account like this for 6 months they then agreed DD payments. No problems since.

BT- set a limit on account once calls had reached £50 a bill was sent out and I paid. They kept this up for 1 year- now I have no limit.

Water- No problems at all and went straight on to DD.

Gas- No problems again straight onto DD.

In each case they offered a meter electric, gas. I declined. Many landlords are used to pre-paid meters now. I would suggest you could ask landlord if have any objections in first instance. Yes they can be put back without any problems.

You could always pay a little up front on to the utilities bills and get payment cards to build up some credit also. They have to provide a service and I found them to be helpful.

Hope you get it sorted.

22bear

jayk wrote: »

Hi

Three years I was in similar situation, although paying utilities tey were not in my name. I had bad credit rating and this was prior to BR. Was very worried re setting up utilities in my new place. I had no problems in getting the services. Scotish power set service up but I had to agree to pay a weekly amount ( not pre payment meter- although they did offer this). After running account like this for 6 months they then agreed DD payments. No problems since.

BT- set a limit on account once calls had reached £50 a bill was sent out and I paid. They kept this up for 1 year- now I have no limit.

Water- No problems at all and went straight on to DD.

Gas- No problems again straight onto DD.

In each case they offered a meter electric, gas. I declined. Many landlords are used to pre-paid meters now. I would suggest you could ask landlord if have any objections in first instance. Yes they can be put back without any problems.

You could always pay a little up front on to the utilities bills and get payment cards to build up some credit also. They have to provide a service and I found them to be helpful.

Hope you get it sorted.

Thank you SOOOOOO much, JayK, that's absolutely brilliant and really does help to calm my worries when I'm in such a vulnerable and uncertain position at this present moment in time as I know you understand so well...

...thank you again, that was really helpful and just wish that you had seen my post about this 2 weeks ago when the first answer I got was something along the lines of: "well, I always paid my utility bills on time so I don't have that problem..." and then subsequent posts answering THAT unhelpful comment instead of answering my original question!! So it's nice to get some answers and advice from someone who has experienced this and knows wht they are talking about and aren't just posting for the sake of it!

[Deleted User]

22Bear - Depending on the gas/ele supplier at the property (left by the previous tenant so you're connected when you move in), you may be credit checked. If you fail a credit check, you will likely have the option of having a prepayment meter(s) fitted OR paying a security deposit (usually a couple of hundred £) which you get back after a year, plus interest, upon paying your bills on time :-)

Alternatively, renting or otherwise, you can choose to have a prepayment meter without permission (but it's good practice to ask) as, unlike a water meter, the meters can be changed back to credit (direct debit or quarterly bill meters) by the owner/new occupants in the future, as long as they pass the credit check.

22bear

Deleted_User wrote: »

22Bear - Depending on the gas/ele supplier at the property (left by the previous tenant so you're connected when you move in), you may be credit checked. If you fail a credit check, you will likely have the option of having a prepayment meter(s) fitted OR paying a security deposit (usually a couple of hundred £) which you get back after a year, plus interest, upon paying your bills on time :-)

Alternatively, renting or otherwise, you can choose to have a prepayment meter without permission (but it's good practice to ask) as, unlike a water meter, the meters can be changed back to credit (direct debit or quarterly bill meters) by the owner/new occupants in the future, as long as they pass the credit check.

Brilliant, Deleted_User...thanks an absolute million and a half! It's helpful, informed posts like this that can really help to make such a difference to me and make me feel so much more hopeful of my current situation...to know that there are workable solutions that people who have actually been through similar situations can advise on means so much to me..thank you again, I feel I'm finally getting some help on this forum...yours and JayK's reply to my question have lifted a real heavy weight off my shoulders!! Big hugs to you both:T I only wish that some other people using this forum at the moment try to be more aware of the potential, and indeed actual, negative impact of unhelpful postings(or maybe they do and that's why they do it, who knows what their motivation/agenda is??) and in future only post when they actually know the answer/solution to a person's question or predicament instead of just opening their mouths and letting their belly rumble for all the good it does!