Utilities through our Landlord

EmsLdn

Hello all,

I'm looking for a bit of advice. I moved into a property with my husband almost two years ago. When we moved in, we were told that the gas supplier was already set and couldn't be changed - annoying but we lived with it. We were then told our electricity bills would be sent via our landlord.

During our tenancy, we've had to request bills from the landlord - they've never been volunteered like with any other bill. We've often had to wait months for replies to multiple requests and then have to deal with large bills. The last electricity bill was for a period of six months use. We don't have a huge disposable income and would have preferred to pay small regular amounts rather than large amounts less frequently. In hindsight, we should have 'saved' the electricity money but in reality, we didn't - we spent it on other bills, outgoings etc.

We're now nearing the end of our tenancy, and have given our two months notice. In the notification, we included the latest meter reading and a request for a prompt calculation of our electricity bill - our last bill was received in November 2013 but only went up to July 2013 - in theory, it means we're about to be hit with an electricity bill for 11 months. I don't know what we'll do - I don't want us to end up in debt. I don't want to have to continue pressuring the landlord to give us the bill as I fear he will give us a negative reference.

Please be blunt - am I being unreasonable? I've rented homes for years and have never had such a convoluted situation with regard to my utility bill, let alone having to wait longer than 3 months (quarterly bills). Your advice and guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
EmsLdn

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

Landlord aren't allowed to profit from the resale of energy. This has been the case for some years now hence nearly every LL will just steer clear

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/74486/11782-resaleupdateoct05.pdf

Have you physically seen the bills? Do you know he isn't using this for a bit of extra on the side?

EmsLdn

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

Landlord aren't allowed to profit from the resale of energy. This has been the case for some years now hence nearly every LL will just steer clear

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/74486/11782-resaleupdateoct05.pdf

Have you physically seen the bills? Do you know he isn't using this for a bit of extra on the side?

Thanks for the link - I'll have a read in a moment. Regarding the bills, I've asked on a number of occasions to see the bills but they have never sent one. They have only sent unit costs and details of how the bills are calculated...

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

Is your deposit protected?

EmsLdn

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

Is your deposit protected?

Our deposit is protected

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

EmsLdn wrote: »

Our deposit is protected

I would have serious doubts your LL is doing things above board here. Why would they sort the bills out for you unless there was something in it for them? It's just a pointless admin exercise that no honest LL needs or wants.

I would withhold payment of electricity until you see a bill. Keep paying your rent as required. Claim the full deposit back the day the tenancy ceases. The LL may try and deduct the electricity from the deposit - go to the dispute resolution service if needs be - they'll laugh the LL away.

Back to the electricity bill, the LL can try and take you to small claims for the amount, for which they'd need a bill anyway!

Pixie5740

It's a bit of a strange set up. I don't understand why the LL wouldn't just let you set up your own account with the electricity supplier.

Anyway, have you ever supplied meter readings to your LL or has your LL ever come to take meter readings?

TBagpuss

As you have prevooiously paid a bill, you should be able to work out roughly what the bill is likely to be, so you can save that amount.

Make sure you take final readigns (photograph the meter!) when you move out, and then make a written request for a copy of the bill, before paying.

Does your landlord live next door? The only time I have encountered this sort of set up was where a property had been divided but was still on a single supply, so bills were apportioned between the different flats.

jjlandlord

This is not a question of deposit protection or of restriction on resale of energy.

OP has said it all himself:

EmsLdn wrote: »

we should have 'saved' the electricity money but in reality, we didn't - we spent it on other bills, outgoings etc.

Yes, you should have saved the money.
If now you are hit with a large bill, in arrear so in fact to your advantage, tough.

EmsLdn

Dear all,

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I suggested to my husband that we withhold the electricity payments until we see a bill, but he was reluctant to antagonise the landlord - he's more cautious than I am. Thanks heavens, as we could have been taken to small claims court for the bill, in theory and that could incur more costs.

The set up with the electricity bill is odd. Our landlord doesn't live next door. Our property is like the granny flat/cottage attached to the back of a larger house, which has been converted into two separate flats. We have our own front door, upstairs, downstairs, etc, and a meter inside our property for the electricity. Initially, we thought the meter was just for our property but our suspicions regarding the billings were aroused again when we were asked for a meter reading when tenants in the adjoining house were moving out.

Apart from that one occasion with the meter reading for the moving tenants, we've always volunteered the meter readings.

I took a photo of the meter reading when we moved in and each time we've supplied a photo of the meter when we've requested bills.

Again, thanks everybody!

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

jjlandlord wrote: »

This is not a question of deposit protection or of restriction on resale of energy.

OP has said it all himself:


Yes, you should have saved the money.
If now you are hit with a large bill, in arrear so in fact to your advantage, tough.

The OP has said they've never seen a bill, yet have paid for energy. The bill is supposedly in the name of the LL, so it most definitely is a resale of energy question.

The deposit protection was a warning in case the LL tries to recoup unpaid energy from deposit. At no stage have I suggested that has happened at this stage - impossible as the OP hasn't even moved out!

I don't pay bills that aren't in my name, and nor should the OP.