the law says...

Suntin

Had a visit from someone claiming to be from British Gas, actually an appointed debt collector.
Not our bill but they are kicking up the same fuss they always do.

He used the phrase "the law says" several times.
So I'd like to know.

Which law regulates matters of utility debt recovery and a consumer's right to choose supplier/suppliers right to force a contract on an unwilling party.

Specifically which act of parliament?

undaunted

Electricity act 1989, Gas act 1986, utilities act 2000 etc.

What do you mean by force a contract on you? A deemed contract would be formed with the supplier of the last occupier if you choose to move in & use electricity or gas.

You will be legally responsible for any energy used between your moving in and the date you switch to another supplier. You are not responsible for any used prior to your occupation. Can we take it that you took & supplied meter reads at the time of moving in?

The deemed contract does not prevent you from switching to your chosen provider however - unless a bill you owe has been issued 28 days or more ago & remains unpaid. If it has you need only pay that bill & restart the switching process.

As to debt collectors, if it is for the last occupier (and indeed even if it isn't - though that doesn't help resolve the problem) you are quite within your rights to simply ask them to leave

chanz4

Op, you need to open an account. If not they will be back, and with a warrant.

spiro

Also if the DCA is chasing an old debt you may be required to prove when youmoved in and possiby where you lived before. This is to stop people changing the bill from one name to another while the same people still actually live in the property.

[Deleted User]

The amount of fraud on credit meters is enormous, proberbly far in excess of any on meter bypassing. I am constantly coming across prepays now being forceably fitted to reclaim debt built up, one gas meter this week with £9000 debt on it. The technique is for people to move into accommodation and not a pay a penny on any credit meters for as long as possible which could be years. Smart meters would end all that free energy as they can be operated in either credit or prepay mode, so all new occupiers would be on prepay until credit worthiness is proven.

ValHaller

sacsquacco wrote: »

so all new occupiers would be on prepay until credit worthiness is proven.

That will go down a bundle.

Cardew

Suntin wrote: »

Which law regulates matters of utility debt recovery and a consumer's right to choose supplier/suppliers right to force a contract on an unwilling party.

Specifically which act of parliament?

Post #2 gives you the answers.

If you move in to a property and(crucially) use any gas and electricity you have entered into a legally binding deemed contract with the supplier of that gas/electricity.

Before Privatisation - when there was no choice of company - the supply could be disconnected when the old occupant left and not re-connected until the new occupant had signed a contract . So the deemed contract provision was brought in to protect consumers who could move into a property with gas/electricity still connected.

However technically you don't have to enter into a deemed contract. You can request that gas and electricity are disconnected when the old occupant leaves. Then arrange to join a supplier of your choice and get them to re-connect gas and electricity. It should only take a few weeks and cost £xxx;)

[Deleted User]

ValHaller wrote: »

That will go down a bundle.

Yes wont be popular, but a good percentage of the rental market is low end, sorry to say but the foreigners havent been shy in spotting a massive loophole and know how to get lovely hot houses all winter when landlords are stupid enough not to pay out for prepay meters. The Roma Gipsy in Doncaster ( known as Slovaks ) are all doing it, build up a 2 to 3 grand debt , wait for the prepays to come in, then bypass them . My BG RPU contacts said thats the standard methods. Getting into their rental properties has become very difficult now as they have got wise and try and stop me seeing the meters. RPU are overworked nowadays