Prepayment Meter - Previous Occupier issues please help

pyro1979

Hi guys

Basically I've just signed up for my first flat and am due to move in on Friday.

I've been told by British Gas that if there's any debt on the meter that I need to pay that down with my own money on Friday to bring the meter back into the black.

I'm astonished to be honest:eek:, I haven't checked yet but assuming there will be some debt on the meter, I simply can't afford to pick up the tab for someone else especially at this time of the year.

Do I have a leg to stand on here? Can anyone advise from being in the same position?

A friend of mine told me that on the 2 occasions she's experienced meters that a meter reader or such like would turn up and feed cards into the meter until they were at 0 again. Is this no longer the case?

Thank you in advance of your replies

spiro

What you have been told is rubbish you don't pay someone elses debt. What they may have meant is that when you get your own device (dont use one in flat) it could take a several of vends before the meter is reset and the debt cleared.

ChumpusRex

Just a warning, the meter may not auto reset. Mine didn't when I moved into a place with a debt on a prepayment meter.

I had sent British gas everything they needed, including tenancy agreement. However, and they set up the account.

However, it took 4 months before they reset the meter, during which time I was spending £60 a week to keep the electricity on in a small flat. By the time they sorted it, I had several hundred pounds worth of credit on the meter, and they then refused to replace the prepayment meter or allow a switch to a new supplier on the basis that there was too much credit on it.

pyro1979

ChumpusRex wrote: »

Just a warning, the meter may not auto reset. Mine didn't when I moved into a place with a debt on a prepayment meter.

I had sent British gas everything they needed, including tenancy agreement. However, and they set up the account.

However, it took 4 months before they reset the meter, during which time I was spending £60 a week to keep the electricity on in a small flat. By the time they sorted it, I had several hundred pounds worth of credit on the meter, and they then refused to replace the prepayment meter or allow a switch to a new supplier on the basis that there was too much credit on it.

Thanks for the post - that's my fear really I can't afford to be in that situation and so far British Gas seem less than helpful

GlynD

pyro1979 wrote: »

Thanks for the post - that's my fear really I can't afford to be in that situation and so far British Gas seem less than helpful

As Spiro says, it's rubbish. You can't be held responsible for someone else's debt. Keep at British Gas until you get the right answer and have the meter reset.

macman

You need to set up your own account and get a new card.

Cate1976

Can't remember what year it is, but under one of the Finance Acts, it's illegal for a company to make you pay a debt that's not yours.

What I would do is when you get the keys to the flat, take a photo of the meter showing what the reading is, then go through the screens until you find the one that shows any debt, if there is any. take a photo.

When you phone the supplier to set up an account in your name, they should give you a temporary number which you can use until you get your key. If you find any money you put on is taken for debt, keep your receipts from the shop and take photos showing how much money is available for your use. Don't forget to allow for the standing charge or if you use any of the emergency credit.

I only know this because I asked about pre pay meters on here before we moved over here, luckily our meters are credit ones and letting agents took reads and gave them to supplier when my parents got the keys. Photos of all 3 gas, electric & water meters were in the pack we were given when we got to Norfolk. (Moved over from Northern Ireland and parents are guarantors).

GlynD

Cate1976 wrote: »

Can't remember what year it is, but under one of the Finance Acts, it's illegal for a company to make you pay a debt that's not yours.

What I would do is when you get the keys to the flat, take a photo of the meter showing what the reading is, then go through the screens until you find the one that shows any debt, if there is any. take a photo.

When you phone the supplier to set up an account in your name, they should give you a temporary number which you can use until you get your key. If you find any money you put on is taken for debt, keep your receipts from the shop and take photos showing how much money is available for your use. Don't forget to allow for the standing charge or if you use any of the emergency credit.

I only know this because I asked about pre pay meters on here before we moved over here, luckily our meters are credit ones and letting agents took reads and gave them to supplier when my parents got the keys. Photos of all 3 gas, electric & water meters were in the pack we were given when we got to Norfolk. (Moved over from Northern Ireland and parents are guarantors).

Have you any idea who the enforcement agency are for this? Just for the OP's benefit? Would it be Trading Standards? I think that's where I would phone first in any case.

Cate1976

It's 10 years since I had a debt collection agency trying to get me to pay a debt that belonged to someone with same surname but different first name to me who was a previous tenant of a flat I lived in. A friend of mine said that under the Finance Act of 197?, I couldn't be held liable for the debt. My friend even gave me the section of the act but I can't remember that. I tried googling 'can you be made to pay a debt that's not yours' but that didn't give me the link to the act. The consumer direct site might be worth looking at, that's the only place I can think of if there aren't any articles on the main MSE site which cover what to do if you're being made to pay a debt that's not yours.

Joyful

They will give you a code to get a new key to reset the electric meter and a new card to reset the gas. The problem is if there is any debt on the front screen of the gas meter a new card will not remove it. The advice will have been if you have a few pounds on the front of the meter ( usually if the property has been empty for a while) that if you pay this to get your supply on quickly BG will then refund it to you.

If there is any debt on screen S ( elec) or 27 (Gas) they will want proof of when you have taken over the tenancy before they wipe the debt.

C_Mababejive

All agreed. If BG told you that then they are talking rubbish. The debt belongs to previous occupier. They need to decom/recom the meter and supply you with a new gascard. They also need to refund any monies you may have already erroneously paid.