Year old debt on gas meter. Unwittingly being paid by subsequent tennants.

BeCre8iv

Having just rented a room in a shared house (april 2013) I was the first person to feed the gas meter for some time. here's why.

£20 returned £9 in credit which was burned in less than 48hrs of low usage. (£2/hr to heat a 3-bed terrace with a modern boiler plus a further £3 for debt the next day)

The next step was to contact those lovely people at SSE. Initially by facebook to avoid premium-rate hold-music. Suspecting that a standing charge had built up over time, I asked for the unit and standing charge for a pre-pay meter. (having looked on their website with no luck)

I was them pointed to a tariff page for their credit accounts and told that it was the same as the paygo meters. This was later contradicted by an SSE phone rep.

When I called, it was explained that when the paygo meter was fitted (april2012 - i suspect when the prop. mgt. co. took over) there was an outstanding debt. This was being collected aggressively by the meter from subsequent tenants.

Gas credit was burned at twice the rate and £10 per week was collected from the credit. As the Prop. mgt. co. are the account holder, SSE were unable to help.

Yesterday I spoke to previous tenants who had also called SSE but got nowhere due to a language barrier. I suspect the situation was exploited by telephone staff because they understood when I explained.


Before approaching the prop. mgt. co. I will need to know my rights.

What is the next step if the landlord refuses to remove the debt or ignores me?

If I provide a reading do SSE have to acknowledge a change of tenancy?

I have written evidence of SSE reps lying and concealing costs to the end user (not the acct holder) would offgem care?

sabretoothtigger

I wonder how hard it is to switch from meter to regular quarterly account like most people are allowed.

I know government hold this as some kind of latent discrimination in the system but Im not certain you can force them to do anything.
The regulator may have teeth or just be a puppet

On the other hand I used to have a landlord who siphoned my electricity to power the whole blocks lighting, etc
A meter shut off for when I wasnt even there can be useful

HappyMJ

Don't top up someone else's meter. The energy should be included in the rent.

If the landlord insists that they won't pay for the energy then you should set up an account direct with the supplier yourself. If you don't want to be responsible for collecting the money each week from your co-tenants then give up on the property and move somewhere else. I doubt you'll get anywhere without being the account holder.

BeCre8iv

Cant switch because I am not the current acct holder and would be happy with paygo if it didnt collect the debt. We could then use the heating.

Which legislation says the landlord should include energy with rent? Does that mean tenants should otherwise be joint and several on the paygo accounts?

also
Boiler was installed in 2012 along with the meter. Readings and CSrep also confirm v-low usage and acknowledge the debt and premium.

Fire_Fox

Exactly what does it say in your tenancy agreement about paying the utilities? Are you a true shared house with one joint tenancy agreement, or renting one room and each paying the landlord separately, do you have lockable bedrooms? Is your house registered with the council as as an HMO?

What you may need to do is become the account holder. Usually that is perfectly straightforward, you just call and say you are new and want to open your new account. They close the old account and chase the old account holder for any debt. They are right not to speak to you about the past debt on the old account under Data Protection legislation, that is none of your concern you should be able to start now with a 'clean slate'.

You should not be having to feed a meter on an account you have no control over, that is not in your name, that you cannot switch supplier. Depending how your house/ tenancy is set up anything it may be anything in the tenancy agreement about utilities is an unfair or unenforceable clause.

SwanJon

As above if you are paying the bills you should be the account holder(s). You can remain on the prepayment/paygo meter if that works better.

You can check the settings on the meter.
With the card out and the meter showing your credit press and hold the red button until the screen changes (let go).
This screen will probably* be 27 (GD remaining) - showing if there is a bill on the meter. Each time you press and release the red button the screen will change. The numbers you are looking for:
25/26 - Min/Max WRR - the amount being paid towards the bill each week.
09/10 - p/kWh - the cost of a billed unit (should match their website)
18 - standing charge (I might have this number wrong, but it should say)
00-03 - the last top up and what happened to it.

(If not sure, make a note of each screen, and put them up here)

* If for some reason an older meter has been reused you'll start at 00 and move upwards in order - you will need to put your card in to see anything above 23)