Advice needed

jammother

This is quite long, so please bear with me.

We moved into a new rental property on 01/03/12. The Letting Agent did the inventory but forgot to take the meter readings and asked if we could do it ourselves. When we got to the property, we were unable to read the meter as it required a meter key. We contacted the LA who said they would send someone round to read the meter. We also purchased a key ourselves although it took a month to order.

Our dual fuel changed over to our new supplier (Eon) six weeks after moving into the property. Then, problems started occuring when we received gas bills for the owner of the property which eventually turned into baliffs demands. We contacted the LA who said they would deal with it (the owner lives abroad). We were expecting to pay something for our first six weeks but this morning I was surprised to receive a bill for £150 (for six weeks usage).

I contacted British Gas who said that it was my responsibility to tell them I had moved into the property. I said that I understood it was was my new suppliers' responsibility to do this and take a meter reading. The customer service assistant said that this was a lie and other fuel companies do this to get your service.

Upon further questioning it seems that there has not been a gas meter reading given or taken from our rental property in over two years. And so our bill was taken on the estimated reading for the house and taken to the point of the estimated reading by our new supplier. I disputed the bill and was told that all British Gas could do was take our average readings over the last six months and then guess how much we would have used in the cold months of March and the begining of April.

The bill has now been adjusted to £118 based on average use. This seems very high for six weeks especially was we only used electric heating rather than gas. Our total gas bill for last year at our previous property was only £350.

The upshot is that I don't really know what to do. I don't really want to have to pay £118 but cannot prove either way that I did not use the gas. I have tried speaking to the letting agent again but they seem a bit clueless. It appears that the owner of the property allowed his ex-wife to live here and she has left the bills unpaid (but that doesn't seem relevant to the situation but is just background). I expect to pay some money towards the cost of the six weeks but feel I am being penalised for the mistakes of others.

Any advice will be greatfully received.

espresso

jammother wrote: »

This is quite long, so please bear with me.

We moved into a new rental property on 01/03/12. The Letting Agent did the inventory but forgot to take the meter readings and asked if we could do it ourselves. When we got to the property, we were unable to read the meter as it required a meter key. We contacted the LA who said they would send someone round to read the meter. We also purchased a key ourselves although it took a month to order.

Our dual fuel changed over to our new supplier (Eon) six weeks after moving into the property. Then, problems started occuring when we received gas bills for the owner of the property which eventually turned into baliffs demands. We contacted the LA who said they would deal with it (the owner lives abroad). We were expecting to pay something for our first six weeks but this morning I was surprised to receive a bill for £150 (for six weeks usage).

I contacted British Gas who said that it was my responsibility to tell them I had moved into the property. I said that I understood it was was my new suppliers' responsibility to do this and take a meter reading. The customer service assistant said that this was a lie and other fuel companies do this to get your service.

Upon further questioning it seems that there has not been a gas meter reading given or taken from our rental property in over two years. And so our bill was taken on the estimated reading for the house and taken to the point of the estimated reading by our new supplier. I disputed the bill and was told that all British Gas could do was take our average readings over the last six months and then guess how much we would have used in the cold months of March and the begining of April.

The bill has now been adjusted to £118 based on average use. This seems very high for six weeks especially was we only used electric heating rather than gas. Our total gas bill for last year at our previous property was only £350.

The upshot is that I don't really know what to do. I don't really want to have to pay £118 but cannot prove either way that I did not use the gas. I have tried speaking to the letting agent again but they seem a bit clueless. It appears that the owner of the property allowed his ex-wife to live here and she has left the bills unpaid (but that doesn't seem relevant to the situation but is just background). I expect to pay some money towards the cost of the six weeks but feel I am being penalised for the mistakes of others.

Any advice will be greatfully received.

You should have read the meter yourself as soon as you moved in - keys are readily available from local shops etc. or you could have borrowed one.

When moving into a property, you are required to register with the current supplier before trying to switch to a new supplier of your choice.

If you are being penalised, it is due to your own mistakes.

spiro

espresso wrote: »

You should have read the meter yourself as soon as you moved in - keys are readily available from local shops etc. or you could have borrowed one.

When moving into a property, you are required to register with the current supplier before trying to switch to a new supplier of your choice.

If you are being penalised, it is due to your own mistakes.

Agree with all of this. I would add to that, that I would not sign an inventory for a rented property without taking and agreeing utility readings with the letting agent/LL in case of future disputes.

jammother

We have not been given an inventory and therefore have signed nothing.

Admittedly, hindsight is a wonderful thing - telling me what I should have done, unfortunately does not help me now.

Thank you for you help though and I'll be sure not to make the same mistake again.

[Deleted User]

looks like the outgoing tenant has nt done the correct thing either, nor the landlord by sending in end reads. I meet people every week who have moved in and have absolutely no idea of the procedure. Its not publicised by the Utilities, one young lady I met today was happily using the outgoing tenants prepay cards/key, paying off some debt loaded onto the electric meter. Can t the Utilities simply put a sticker on the meter saying " new occupiers, contact supplier ". Have you sent them a copy of your tenancy agreement showing your start date to get an accurate estimate of summer consumption.. Meter box key 99p inc postage ebay, 2 day delivery

Terrylw1

They sell meter box keys is Tesco these days.

Have they got your moving in date correct? If not, this would skew the estimate,

Have they billed the previous tenant up to the correct leaving date and set up an account for the landlord inbetween?

Given this keeps happening, either the landlord is very poor or intentionally does this to avoid usage & standing charges thus lumbering tenants with it.

In terms of estimates they can monitor now and apply a % correction for seasonal change but beyond that its just a dispute.

steph100

Its a third party dispute, the only way youll get the bill changed is by negotiating with the landlord/letting agents to get your moving in read amended, its likely that your previous provider will require a letter from the letting agents confirming that it is okay to amend the reading because once done the landlord/previous tenant will receive a higher bill.

jalexa

jammother wrote: »

Admittedly, hindsight is a wonderful thing - telling me what I should have done, unfortunately does not help me now.

Maybe, but it helps others which is why "harsh" advice is sometimes posted. BTW, any update for the benefit of others?