e-on refuses to change to residential tariff

mypinknee

Can anyone explain what legal rights e-on have to refuse to let me switch to a domestic tariff.

Part of my Listed property had up until April 2012 been used as offices for 14 years. Prior to that it was just residential. When the tenants left I applied for and obtained Planning permission to revert the offices back to residential. However the council tax still says it has a business use. E.on refuse to let me switch, despite continuing explanations since last May. About 2 months ago when I persued this again, they demanded that I show them a Council tax reference that is residential.

Up until then I had been in no rush to change the council tax because the building is Listed and consequently I had no tax to pay on an empty property.

I am now in the process of obtaining agreement from our local land valuation office, that the whole building is indeed residential. In the meantime I am caught in a contract which eon say lasts until May 2014.

I have argued that the building is now completely residential, and the address they have for the business only forms a part of the total residential building, but they don’t seem to understand this.

Apart from my stupidity in agreeing to a fixed term contract by not understanding their letters, and in fact not realising it was a business tariff, I fail to understand why the company are able to refuse to change me to a domestic tariff. Is there some law that covers that?

I pay a standing charge of 24.82p per day, and 12.38p per kWh. This was perhaps fair while the old office space was unused and empty, but it is now converted to habitable rooms and the like, so I am beginning to use a bit of energy and the daily standing charge on top of the 12.38p per kWh adds up.

I should say that the property does have two meters for both gas and electricity. I had thought of just reverting to one supply, but it would be physically difficult and may be expensive to do.

All help gratefully received.

bob_bank_spanker

mypinknee wrote: »

Can anyone explain what legal rights e-on have to refuse to let me switch to a domestic tariff.

Part of my Listed property had up until April 2012 been used as offices for 14 years. Prior to that it was just residential. When the tenants left I applied for and obtained Planning permission to revert the offices back to residential. However the council tax still says it has a business use. E.on refuse to let me switch, despite continuing explanations since last May. About 2 months ago when I persued this again, they demanded that I show them a Council tax reference that is residential.

Up until then I had been in no rush to change the council tax because the building is Listed and consequently I had no tax to pay on an empty property.

I am now in the process of obtaining agreement from our local land valuation office, that the whole building is indeed residential. In the meantime I am caught in a contract which eon say lasts until May 2014.

I have argued that the building is now completely residential, and the address they have for the business only forms a part of the total residential building, but they don’t seem to understand this.

Apart from my stupidity in agreeing to a fixed term contract by not understanding their letters, and in fact not realising it was a business tariff, I fail to understand why the company are able to refuse to change me to a domestic tariff. Is there some law that covers that?

I pay a standing charge of 24.82p per day, and 12.38p per kWh. This was perhaps fair while the old office space was unused and empty, but it is now converted to habitable rooms and the like, so I am beginning to use a bit of energy and the daily standing charge on top of the 12.38p per kWh adds up.

I should say that the property does have two meters for both gas and electricity. I had thought of just reverting to one supply, but it would be physically difficult and may be expensive to do.

All help gratefully received.

So to sum up, you signed up to a business tariff expiring next year, and the local council say the property is still used for business purposes.

I think you know the answer to this one....

Andy_WSM

Also, the rates you have quoted, 24.82p per day & 12.38p per kWh are cheaper than the cheapest tariff I can get from EON, so don't rush to move!

The only difference I think is that domestic is 5% VAT and Business is 20%.

Bottom line is that they are within their rights to ask for proof it is no longer a business premises (council tax) and you haven't provided it to them yet.

dogshome

They key to your problem is Council Tax paperwork showing that the entire building is listed as residential - Until you can present Eon with this they won't budge.

The S/Charge and Kwh rates don't compare too badly with todays domestic rates, so just letting the contract run till you have finished the conversion will not be costing a fortune

Energy_Nerd

You might want to consider signing a VAT declaration form to say that 100% of your property is used for domestic purposes and therefore pay VAT at 5% and no CCL.

mypinknee

dogshome wrote: »

They key to your problem is Council Tax paperwork showing that the entire building is listed as residential - Until you can present Eon with this they won't budge.

The S/Charge and Kwh rates don't compare too badly with todays domestic rates, so just letting the contract run till you have finished the conversion will not be costing a fortune

It is the principle of the thing that annoys me. Where is the law that says they have to see my Council Tax arrangements?

I take your point about the charges, but I think they are more than my domestic tariff. However I expect I will have to live with it.

Thanks for yours and everyone else's help.

mypinknee

Energy_Nerd wrote: »

You might want to consider signing a VAT declaration form to say that 100% of your property is used for domestic purposes and therefore pay VAT at 5% and no CCL.

Thanks for the suggestion. Where do I get such a form from?