Extortionate gas bill from my Landlord

Heathy82

Ok, background information. I rent a 2 bedroom bungalow on a large rural estate owned by a foundation. They have several properties on the huge estate including flats, cottages and houses, a golf club, riding stables and they used to also own a college. They have since sold the college but retained the smaller properties and tenants. Every quarter since moving in 2 years ago, they ask for my meter readings, and then bill me, along with every other tenant. All has been fine until now. I recently submitted my meter readings for mid April to mid July and received a gas bill of £473!!! Just to compare, my mid winter gas bill for a higher consumption as my heating was on constantly was only £165!? My gas bill last Summer was just £85. So after picking myself up from the floor I contacted my landlord to dispute the bill thinking surely there must be a typo or mis calculation. Their reply was simly 'gas prices have increased, we will look for an alternative supplier so that your next bill will be cheaper'. As if that makes it ok for me to pay nearly £500 for Summer gas supply?!? Again I queried it. I paid my water and electricity as I was happy with the bill for those, but I am digging my heels in over this gas. Surely if they don't allow us to choose the supplier, it is their duty to source the best deals available? At the moment they are saying that Dong Energy supplies us all, they get billed to their office and then they divvy it out amongst tenants according to their meter readings. My poor neighbour has been charged £600 for their gas (again less consumption than Winter) What are my rights? Thanks

spiro

Post the date and readings used as the opening and closing reading for the period. Also confirm if the meter is metric (m3 on meter) or imperial (ft3) on meter. We can then work out how many kwh you have used and if the price is reasonable.

You have to remember that the LL can not make a profit out of reselling gas but may be doing something like trying to apss on higher aret VAT to you which they should not, ditto climate levy.

Terrylw1

I've just checked the whole list of elec trading parties and Dong are not registered, so they cannot trade in any role.

Did they act as a broker?

Do you have your own MPAN/MPRN? Or are you considered as 1 site because it all runs off one business meter?

There is a useful article here, note that the term third party access is where you pay for a new supply hence you get your own MPAN/MPRN's...but its not cheap!

http://www.dwf.co.uk/insight/legal-updates/new-regulations-give-tenants-the-right-to-choose-electricity-and-gas-suppliers/

http://www.everdebt.com/global/en/what/articles/index.page?ArticleID=en%5CReal_estate%5CTenants-freedom-choose-energy-suppliers

This all allows a landlord to create its own tariff using the Ofgem model or seeking their approval. This is really aimed at business tenants.

In terms of the landlords choice of supplier, other is currently a court case running for businesses on one site who believe have been overcharged due to the landlords poor choice of supplier.

So, whilst previous obligations stated that landlords could not charge more than they pay to purchase, this is changing for sites where large demands influence the contract. It also allows the landlord to charge more to ensure between the tenants, they achieve the target for their bulk purchase.

I hope your landlord isn't involved in that or it could be harder to understand.

If not, then its back to the rule regarding selling at the same price as purchase, but note Spiro's points on tax and also that landlords may add bills for administration to make a profit...this part can be dubious.

You are entitled to understand what you have been billed. So, you need to access for kwh + standing charge data with dates and readings. Until you get this, its not possible to determine any error or usage issue.

Cardew

It sounds to me like there have been some estimated meter readings used, or possibly incorrect meter readings.

£165 for a mid winter quarter 'with heating on constantly' is unrealistically low, and of course £473 for a April-July quarter is unrealistically high.

I suspect that the wrong reaing was used for the winter bill and this latest is a 'catch-up' bill.

Heathy82

Please forgive me, but I don't understand all the technical jargon and MPAN stuff.

I read my meter (I actually take a photo of it on my iPhone and email it to the landlord every 3 months). So there is no estimated readings taking place.


My reading on 12.04.12 was 9386
My reading on 20.07.12 was 9595
Total units used was 209
Charge at £0.07179 per kWh £473.47


Just to compare
My reading 23.09.11 was 8881
My reading 10.01.12 was 9129
Total units used was 248
Charge at £0.03347 per kWh £261.92


Now even my basic understanding tells me that they are charging double per kWh compared to the last bills. They say this is because 'gas prices have gone up' Hmmmmmmm I very much doubt by that much!


They say they have now changed supplier and we (tenants) will benefit from lower bills in future. But that doesn't make me want to say 'Oh ok then, I will chuck away nearly £500 on a Summer gas bill because you messed up, but at least my Winter bills won't be so bad!'

spiro

Heathy82 wrote: »

My reading on 12.04.12 was 9386
My reading on 20.07.12 was 9595
Total units used was 209
Charge at £0.07179 per kWh £473.47

This indicates you have used 6598kwh (£473.47/7.179p) assuming there is no standing charge. To arrive at that figure your meter should be an imperial meter (ft3 on it).
Picking NPower at random, they charge 8.276p for 1st 4572pa and then 3.079P.

jalexa

spiro wrote: »

Picking NPower at random, they charge 8.276p for 1st 4572pa and then 3.079P.

That's an annual allocation, the OP describes a spring/summer quarter.

Cardew

It seems apparent that the landlord has wrongly used the tier1 price for all consumption and they have used the calculation for an Imperial gas meter.

Terrylw1

Like I said, if the landlord says Dong is your elec supplier as well, they can't be since Dong are not a supplier.

So, are they even being truthful with you?

Have you got a metric or imperial meter?...notice Cardew's post above.

spiro

jalexa wrote: »

That's an annual allocation, the OP describes a spring/summer quarter.

Hence the 'pa' after 4572.