Moved In, Now have previous owner energy bills....HELP

Matt-J_2

Hey everyone,

So I moved in on the 26th, after celebrating we went round to all the meters and took photos of the reading on that day!

I contacted all the DNOs and Meter register and none could tell me who the supplier was. So I chose Sainsburys as my supplier after price comparison and they took it into hand. They are now to be my supplier.

However this morning on the doorstep was a letter for 'overdue payment' from 'Southern Electric'. Strangely though this was addressed not 'to the occupier' or the old owners name but an estate agent who was being used when the property was first listed. They were no longer listing the property when we bought it though.

The other issue being the property was part exchanged so I have no direct contact with the previous owner.

So everyone....what next?

Please guide me

From new (exhausted) homeowner

[Deleted User]

Hi,

pass it on to the estate agent named and let him sort it out, you have your entry readings so make sure when you get your first bill that those readings are used.

Contact Southern and explain things.

Matt-J_2

[Deleted User] wrote:

Hi,

pass it on to the estate agent named and let him sort it out, you have your entry readings so make sure when you get your first bill that those readings are used.

Yeah that's what I passed to the new company. :j

Is it worth taking a copy?

Werdnal

I wonder if those same agent were letting agents for the property prior to selling it? I had similar happen on my letting property when I last used an agent. They found and installed a tenant, but forgot to take readings and put electricity in his name. Tenant did not chase this up, and during his 6 month tenancy, if he did receive any electricity bills, they were addressed to agent and he did not pass on. When I took back the property and "sacked" the agent, I registered the bills in my name, and the "end" reading came to the property address along with a notice of disconnection for non-payment, with the agent's name on it!

I took it to the agency, and when I told the agents secretary (also his wife) about it, she went rather pale - whoever the bills names, is resonsible for the debt, and she agreed with me, that with tenant long-gone, they may have problems proving who should pay!

Forward the bill you have to the agent named, and contact SE to verify you are bill payer and have taken on account at XX date with another supplier.

lessonlearned

I moved into a rental on 4th Jan and had similar problems, threatening me with court action for a bill that had nothing to do with me.

In the end I wrote to them and sent them a copy of my tenancy agreement and meter readings plus details of my new suppliers.

They wrote back a charming letter, apologised for their error and gave me three months of free electricity as recompense.

Perhaps you could send them a copy of your completion statement.

Matt-J_2

I think I'll start off by sending it straight to the agent and letting SE know as if it was addressed to the occupier only then things would be more complicated but seems the agent has taken ownership of the account....for whatever reason they never sorted it out.

getzls

I moved into a Housing Ex property once and even after phoning N.I.Electric about previous tenants bills.

Of course i had already signed for the electric account.

I came home one night and they had got a key of the Housing Ex and turned the electric off.

securityman

Just stick it back in the post box with not known at this address on it.
Just sort out bills that are in your name because you must have eough to do in you new house.
Bill not in my name, not my problem. Got enough to do with out sorting other peoples bills.

olly300

securityman wrote: »

Just stick it back in the post box with not known at this address on it.
Just sort out bills that are in your name because you must have eough to do in you new house.
Bill not in my name, not my problem. Got enough to do with out sorting other peoples bills.

The utility company will send a red letter saying they will turn the utilities with a warrant and start the procedure to do it. So it's worth opening it and dealing with it by telling them the property is now occupied by you.

Matt-J_2

olly300 wrote: »

The utility company will send a red letter saying they will turn the utilities with a warrant and start the procedure to do it. So it's worth opening it and dealing with it by telling them the property is now occupied by you.

I agree Olly I think this might be a best course of action.

For the reference of others in my position though, even if you have a new supplier and your the new owner and the old unpaid bills are not your responsibility, surely they cannot switch you off?

lessonlearned

It's not worth the risk of ignoring them. They can get pretty nasty.

Plus if there are outstanding bills the old supplier may well not co-operate with the new supplier and refuse to change over.

This what happened to me and why I was eventually forced to write a very stern letter.