Dual Energy!!!!!!!!

ShaunInLeeds

Hi All,
Could really do with some advice,
I recently moved into a 1 bed residential property. On my first day a meter reading was taken by the management company and given to me. I requested this from them when they knocked on my door with a bailiff looking for the previous tenant who hadn't paid their electricity bill all on my first day! I still have that letter to date when I said I would contact the letting agent to pass it on.


Anyway, last week I received a bill for the period 23rd October (the date I moved in) - 31st October for £30.... Which seems a lot for just over a weeks use when I've hardly been in the flat!


The bill gave the last tenants leaving meter reading which is totally different to what I was given. The to 31st October meter reading was an estimate.
I contacted the energy firm involved which is Dual Energy. They tell me that they only deal with businesses. I told them this is a residential property so why does it have an account??? their reply was, they suggest I move to a residential supplier then...yet the previous tenant had the account and I was moved onto it as well and not by choice!
The meter reading to date is nowhere near what the last reading that the tenant left.


However, there's still the matter of the bill I have received, both meter reads are wrong. I've told them this, their reply, did you take photo evidence, not at the time no! They have asked me to takea photo of the meter to date (which I have done today) and take a further photo next week so they can get an idea of how much I do use in a weeks period....yet apparently I can't be with them because I'm not a business!!


I have emailed in my dispute in full today, but until I get swapped over to a residential supplier which I should have been on in the first place then I will continue to pay over the odds on a business tarriff no doubt .

Apparently it could take upto a month for me to switch. I tried to call npower and I was given a 40 minute wait to speak to somebody. To switch online I have to select my current supplier which doesn't exist because dual energy arent a residential supplier!


Obviously I need to switch suppliers asap, however there is still the issue of Dual Energy providing me with a service until I do. I am not disputing the fact that I have used electricity and will continue to do so (not by choice!) until I can get it swapped over. But what's the legal standpoint of me being charged a business tariff like this? I've asked for their terms and conditions.

In hindsight I should have checked who the supplier was when I moved in but no detalls came with the landlord and no immediate letters came through the post, and as I had just moved I had alot of other things going on as well. I was expecting it to be one of the big residential suppliers so thought I had nothing to worry about!

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Wywth

ShaunInLeeds wrote: »

Hi All,
Could really do with some advice,
I recently moved into a 1 bed residential property. On my first day a meter reading was taken by the management company and given to me. I requested this from them when they knocked on my door with a bailiff looking for the previous tenant who hadn't paid their electricity bill all on my first day! I still have that letter to date when I said I would contact the letting agent to pass it on.


Anyway, last week I received a bill for the period 23rd October (the date I moved in) - 31st October for £30.... Which seems a lot for just over a weeks use when I've hardly been in the flat!


The bill gave the last tenants leaving meter reading which is totally different to what I was given. The to 31st October meter reading was an estimate.
I contacted the energy firm involved which is Dual Energy. They tell me that they only deal with businesses. I told them this is a residential property so why does it have an account??? their reply was, they suggest I move to a residential supplier then...yet the previous tenant had the account and I was moved onto it as well and not by choice!
The meter reading to date is nowhere near what the last reading that the tenant left.


However, there's still the matter of the bill I have received, both meter reads are wrong. I've told them this, their reply, did you take photo evidence, not at the time no! They have asked me to takea photo of the meter to date (which I have done today) and take a further photo next week so they can get an idea of how much I do use in a weeks period....yet apparently I can't be with them because I'm not a business!!


I have emailed in my dispute in full today, but until I get swapped over to a residential supplier which I should have been on in the first place then I will continue to pay over the odds on a business tarriff no doubt .

Apparently it could take upto a month for me to switch. I tried to call npower and I was given a 40 minute wait to speak to somebody. To switch online I have to select my current supplier which doesn't exist because dual energy arent a residential supplier!


Obviously I need to switch suppliers asap, however there is still the issue of Dual Energy providing me with a service until I do. I am not disputing the fact that I have used electricity and will continue to do so (not by choice!) until I can get it swapped over. But what's the legal standpoint of me being charged a business tariff like this? I've asked for their terms and conditions.

In hindsight I should have checked who the supplier was when I moved in but no detalls came with the landlord and no immediate letters came through the post, and as I had just moved I had alot of other things going on as well. I was expecting it to be one of the big residential suppliers so thought I had nothing to worry about!

Thanks in advance for any advice.

When you move into rented accomodation, you really should have the meter readings recorded on the ingoing statement of condition/inventory and signed by both yourself and the LL/agent.

You can then use this to ensure the supplier bills you correctly in case of dispute

I don't know why you set yourself up on a business tariff with your supplier when you moved in of the energy is used primarily for residentail purposes. :huh: