Landlords and Prepayment Meters Question

samsmoot

In a House in Multiple Occupation with a prepayment meter for the tenants, can the landlord charge whatever he likes for electric? He supplies the prepayment cards for the meters and the electric is quite expensive for the tenants.

Also, would the tenants have a right to change their supplier?

chanz4

Tennants would not be able to change supplier, as your supply is via the landlords. He shouldnt sell for more, but not much of a way to find out.

Man_Overboard_2

samsmoot wrote: »

In a House in Multiple Occupation with a prepayment meter for the tenants, can the landlord charge whatever he likes for electric? He supplies the prepayment cards for the meters and the electric is quite expensive for the tenants.

Also, would the tenants have a right to change their supplier?

Are you a landlord, or just thinking about becoming a landlord?

Terrylw1

No, reselling for profit is not allowed in a domestic market. Its different for business landlords who buy quantities if energy rather than paying a bill, I think.

Some landlords decide to invent various "administration charges" to make money as its harder to dispute.

spiro

chanz4 wrote: »

He shouldnt sell for more, but not much of a way to find out.

I believe you are entitled to see what he is paying, there is also the issue in some instances of him paying non-domestic VAT and CCL which he can't pass on as has to recoup through his business.

torbrex

I thought 'card' meters were obsolete as the top-up cards are no longer available, they were the largest number of meters that I chased down for a while when doing RPU investigations.

There might be different rules for landlords though.

chanz4

torbrex wrote: »

I thought 'card' meters were obsolete as the top-up cards are no longer available, they were the largest number of meters that I chased down for a while when doing RPU investigations.

There might be different rules for landlords though.

you would of thought, but they is quite a few out there normally bypassed by the tennants like.

Terrylw1

torbrex wrote: »

I thought 'card' meters were obsolete as the top-up cards are no longer available, they were the largest number of meters that I chased down for a while when doing RPU investigations.

There might be different rules for landlords though.

The Smartpower meter ones are. Suppliers have been running swap out projects to get keys in for the 2 regions they existed in.

What I tend to find is that project managers don't like hanging on to tie up loose ends and you get a small quantity that are left behind.

I know there were problems with some projects where engineers simply fit another Smartpower meter! Then there was the issue of meters that there was no available meter setting in the industry as Key but some steps were taken to create new industry codes for these but whether it covered them all, I can't recall.

It wasn't an Ofgem directive though so it was left to suppliers.

spiro

torbrex wrote: »

I thought 'card' meters were obsolete as the top-up cards are no longer available, they were the largest number of meters that I chased down for a while when doing RPU investigations.

There might be different rules for landlords though.

These are sub-meters and are therefreo nothing to do with OFGEM or the industry rules on replacing out of date metering.

A quick look with Google will briong up adverts like this http://www.stephenpwales.co.uk/Product/card/home_cards1.htm

samsmoot

Thanks all - I will pass on the info - it's for a friend.