Housing association says can't change supplier

furndire

I was talking to someone yesterday who says the housing association she is with won't allow her to choose her own energy supplier. Is this legal? She has a key meter don't know if this makes a difference.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

If she pays the bills she can be with whomever she chooses.

Why is there a PPM? If it was installed to recover debt you can't switch supplier if you're over £500 in arrears (formerly £200)

Bark01

The housing authority shouldn’t be allowed to stop them switching. However it may be a metering constraint, some housing estates have unique metering set ups that are only supported by one supplier so although they can switch there is nobody to switch to. I.e. Cyclocontrol or Barkantine, is the flat part of a combined Heat and Power scheme?


In some other cases the energy bills are included in the rent they give to the council. It doesn’t sound like this is the case though as its pre pay. Are you sure there are not two meters at the house? Its uncommon but you may have one Prepay meter for general electricity that can be swapped and then another legacy credit meter for heating that belongs to a unique scheme.

System

I recall that my late Mother-in-Law's housing association provider negotiated an energy supply contract with a particular company for all its tenants. This was reviewed periodically. The Lady concerned needs to read the Tenancy Agreement which she no doubt signed when she took on the tenancy. That said, she has the right to seek the Association's permission for a change of supplier if she pays the energy company directly for her supply.

You might wish to glance through the link below. Your friend should not be paying more than quarterly-billed users for her energy.

http://www.housing.org.uk/get-involved/past-campaigns/ending-the-prepay-meter-rip-off/

A word of caution, if your friend is looking to have the meter changed then this could be considered by the landlord to be a 'repair' to the property for which approval may be required.

System

Just found this piece of information on the OFGEM website. It might help your friend argue the case for her to be able to switch:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/83161/tenancyrightsfactsheetenglishweb.pdf

Nada666

Unless you have some centralised heating system or flat-rate charge any such term is not enforceable. If you have your own boiler and your own meters then it is none of your landlord's business - and certainly none of a social landlord's.

It is possible that they have an obscure electricity tariff/meter set-up that not more than the one supplier will cater for.

furndire

Thanks for all replies. I will send this page to her. Certainly seems wrong to me. It will be up to her what to do next.

chanz4

unless they have a main meter, and her pre-pay feeds off it. who does she buy topups from?

[Deleted User]

furndire wrote: »

Thanks for all replies. I will send this page to her. Certainly seems wrong to me. It will be up to her what to do next.

While you are at tell it her to exchange the prepay key meter,to a credit meter if she can,and get on a yearly fixed deal for a big saving on the high tariffs for prepay meters Getting onto the suppliers cheapest tariff is more important than switching suppliers as there is`nt much of a difference with prepay meters. Certainly the H.A. have no powers over that.

Bark01

There are stand alone prepay meters that are on good deals. I.e. the Barkantine estate in London gets its energy from a combined heat and power deal, I think its powered by the heat from local industry. They pay by prepay but it’s a cheap rate negotiated by their LHA that only they can get and they can only top up in the local shop.

In this scenario the customer is must better off on Prepay and probably can not swap.

System

The OP will I am sure have read the OFGEM advice above. Meters are normally the responsibility of the Landlord and permission to change a meter may be required as it is deemed a 'repair'. The Landlord may also be within its rights to require the re-installation of a PPM, at cost to the outgoing tenant or his/her Estate, at the end of the tenancy. My advice, FWiW, would be to engage with the Landlord. My wife and I wanted to fit a stairlift in a HA property. The HA agreed provided we agreed to remove the stairlift, and make good, at the end of the tenancy. In the event, the HA found a tenant that needed a stairlift and removal never became an issue.