Moved into first house! Help!

Paulpreston

Hi,

First, I'm totally new to the forum so I apologise in advance if this message is in the wrong area etc.

I've bought my first house in November. The house was a repossession and had been empty for 6-12months.

I turned the gas and electric on and have been using them both while I make the house liveable.

I was under the impression that the utility provider would have sent me out a letter asking for my details etc and that I would be given the option of using that company.

With all the work etc etc i havn't got round to sorting the gas electric out and now I'm worried that I may get in trouble for leaving it so long?! I have the meter readings from when I moved in. Can anybody help me with what I need to do next?

I have no past experience in dealing with Utility company's so any help will be much appreciated!

Thanks

Richie-from-the-Boro

Paulpreston wrote: »

Hi,

First, I'm totally new to the forum so I apologise in advance if this message is in the wrong area etc.

I've bought my first house in November. The house was a repossession and had been empty for 6-12months.

I turned the gas and electric on and have been using them both while I make the house liveable.

I was under the impression that the utility provider would have sent me out a letter asking for my details etc and that I would be given the option of using that company.

With all the work etc etc i havn't got round to sorting the gas electric out and now I'm worried that I may get in trouble for leaving it so long?! I have the meter readings from when I moved in. Can anybody help me with what I need to do next?

I have no past experience in dealing with Utility company's so any help will be much appreciated!

Thanks

Paul lad, how would the utility provider or even the local priest know unless you told them ? A house could be empty 8 hours or 8 years, the utility provider wouldn't know or care

In law you have a 'deemed contract' with the existing provider, the normal process is you (1) take the meter readings [I would also photograph them if possible as evidence] the moment you move in then, (2) immediately inform them of the meter readings they then, (3) send you the paperwork agreeing [or otherwise] the readings and the tariff details you are on, then if you choose (4) in a position to 'switch' suppliers for a better deal.

Your position is you have for example no idea if the dwelling was used as a 'baccy farm' consuming £400pw hence the reason for the repossession. Add to that the 15 months since repossession. I'd get in touch and get it started, assuming you've put away the £20+ per week since you moved in it might hopefully be not be too bad.

Paulpreston

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

Paul lad, how would the utility provider or even the local priest know unless you told them ? A house could be empty 8 hours or 8 years, the utility provider wouldn't know or care

In law you have a 'deemed contract' with the existing provider, the normal process is you (1) take the meter readings [I would also photograph them if possible as evidence] the moment you move in then, (2) immediately inform them of the meter readings they then, (3) send you the paperwork agreeing [or otherwise] the readings and the tariff details you are on, then if you choose (4) in a position to 'switch' suppliers for a better deal.

Your position is you have for example no idea if the dwelling was used as a 'baccy farm' consuming £400pw hence the reason for the repossession. Add to that the 15 months since repossession. I'd get in touch and get it started, assuming you've put away the £20+ per week since you moved in it might hopefully be not be too bad.

Cheers Ritchie,

Can I just ring any Utility company and ask them to set it up or do I have to find out the company first?

I did take a picture of the gas/electric meters the moment I got through the door. However there's no evidence of the date!

Sambucus_Nigra

Paulpreston wrote: »

Cheers Ritchie,

Can I just ring any Utility company and ask them to set it up or do I have to find out the company first?

I did take a picture of the gas/electric meters the moment I got through the door. However there's no evidence of the date!

There will be on the photo's data.

Have you had no correspondence from any utility companies delivered to your house at all?

Paulpreston

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

There will be on the photo's data.

Have you had no correspondence from any utility companies delivered to your house at all?

Hi Sambucus Nigra,

No nothing at all. Council, TV licensing etc all sent letters addressed to "The legal Occupier" so I've been able to get all these switched over to me and sorted. Nothing from Utilities

Atidi

You need to contact the existing suppliers.

(If you don't know who they are, google is your friend )

At the moment you will be charged at the suppliers deemed/standard/expensive tariff so the quicker you act, the sooner you'll save

Paulpreston

Atidi wrote: »

You need to contact the existing suppliers.

(If you don't know who they are, google is your friend )

At the moment you will be charged at the suppliers deemed/standard/expensive tariff so the quicker you act, the sooner you'll save

Il get on it ASAP!

Thanks for all your help people!

macman

You are in a deemed contract with the existing suppliers, before you can switch you have to register with them.
Did you possibly forget your water account as well?

Richie-from-the-Boro

- you can 'discover' who supplies the dwelling by working backwards with the mprn for gas meter and mpan for electricity meter numbers