Deemed energy supply problem

ChumpusRex

The bill needs to be passed to the management company dealing with the building. Your solicitor and surveyor should have sorted this out and checked that the bills were being paid and who was responsible. It sounds like there was just an informal agreement between neighbours as to who paid. Now that people have moved on, no one has any proof of what was agreed.

If there is no management company, then the bill needs to be paid between yourself and the other residents.. Even if there is a management company, they will simply split the bill between residents.

The long and short of it is that no matter what happens you will have to pay at least your share of the bill. Ignoring the bill will just add legal costs. Infighting between residents will do nothing except devalue your flat because of neighbour disputes that will need to be declared at time of sale.

The pragmatic thing to do is to pay up and ask for the supply to be disconnected and the meter removed.

If you want to play hardball, then just get the supplier to contact the new neighbours and make it their problem. Alternatively, just wait until the supplier get a warrant to disconnect the supply.

kev100_2

Yes only had this problem since the new owners, approx 1 month or so ago when we got the bill (and first contact) a statutory notice to pay from Npower, The new owners had owned 145 for approx 6 months before this.

I dont have contact details of the new owners, just met them a couple times when they first bought the house. I already informed Npower a month ago that 145 are trying to palm off their bill on us, they said they would look into it and pass the bill back to 145, then yesterday we get another bill inc charges for 10/02 to 10/03/2015. so 145 have either told Npower again that its our bill, or Npower didnt take any action in the first place. And looking at Npowers customer service rating I could understand that it may be the latter. But this does not negate the fact that 145 contacted Npower in the first place to palm this bill off to us.

kev100_2

ChumpusRex wrote: »

The bill needs to be passed to the management company dealing with the building. Your solicitor and surveyor should have sorted this out and checked that the bills were being paid and who was responsible.

If there is no management company, then the bill needs to be paid between yourself and the other residents.. Even if there is a management company, they will simply split the bill between residents.

The long and short of it is that no matter what happens you will have to pay at least your share of the bill. Ignoring the bill will just add legal costs. Infighting between residents will do nothing except devalue your flat because of neighbour disputes that will need to be declared at time of sale.

The pragmatic thing to do is to pay up and ask for the supply to be disconnected and the meter removed.

We dont use the lights that this meter is connected to and never have, it was and never has been our bill or account, we have our own light supply to the passageway that we use if we need to, This meter and account is used solely by and for the benefit of the tenents of 145.

I am guessing that the tenents are not contributing towards the cost of this meter and the new owner doesnt want to pay it so he is palnming it off onto us.

In other words we do not share this electricity, the switches are timed push button switchas and only activated when the tenents of 145 push them, and they stay on for 20 seconds. Its not a light that comes on at night and off in the morning.

footyguy

kev100 wrote: »

Thanks guys for replies

Just to clear up, the supply has always been paid for by the owners of 145 (previous owner and then passed onto the new owner last year, he then passed our details onto Npower and told them that we are responsible), and the bill always went to them, we in no way agreed to pay anything towards this bill or even had knowledge there was a seperate meter that supplied the electricty for the lights that the tenents in 145 use, its solely for their use and we have never so much as once switched that light on for any reason as we have our own light switch and lamp for the passageway, our lightswitch is mounted inside our house, the meter in question the lightswitch is mounted in the passageway on timed push switches on the wall of 145. Its also on a business account bill (obviously for the landlords benfit of 145). and we are private owners.

The meter is mounted on the wall of 145.

We are not responsible and have never been for the electricity going to 145, and this meter that is used by the tenents of 145 to light the passageway, in fact the only reason we need to go into the passageway is to read our own meter, which we do in the daytime anyway

Its not a new supple or meter, but one that has been used for the tenents of 145 for many years, and many years (20+) before we bought 144 18 months ago

Then why are you receiving the bill at 144?

The bill should go to 145, unless they have not only told the supplier they are you, but have also set up a mailing address with the supplier.

Call the supplier, and tell them you have no responsibilty for the property and supplies to it known as 145.

(You might want to have a word with your neighbour about this too)

kev100_2

lonestar1 wrote: »

I would simply inform npower that they have been given your details in error (no need to go into history)

Did this yesterday and they told us our name is on the bill so we have to pay it .. its insane that they have a right to take somebodies details and just apply them to an account without checking the facts, or even asking for confirmation that they are responsible for the account in question.

Its like me phoning up my electricity supplier and telling them that I am the owner of No.2 and our name is on the account, but No.1 is now paying the bill, here are their details switch the account to them.

kev100_2

footyguy wrote: »

Then why are you receiving the bill at 144?

The bill should go to 145, unless they have not only told the supplier they are you, but have also set up a mailing address with the supplier.

Call the supplier, and tell them you have no resposibilty for the property and supplies to it known as 145.

(You might want to have a word with your neighbour about this too)

We are receiving the bill because 145 have told Npower we are the new account holders and that the bill now has to go to us. I dont know the ins and outs of it, and how their billing system works. but the bill used to go to 145, and now since 1 month ago its started to come to us, with our name on it.

Mrs_Arcanum

kev100 wrote: »

Yes only had this problem since the new owners, approx 1 month or so ago when we got the bill (and first contact) a statutory notice to pay from Npower, The new owners had owned 145 for approx 6 months before this.

I dont have contact details of the new owners, just met them a couple times when they first bought the house. I already informed Npower a month ago that 145 are trying to palm off their bill on us, they said they would look into it and pass the bill back to 145, then yesterday we get another bill inc charges for 10/02 to 10/03/2013. so 145 have either told Npower again that its our bill, or Npower didnt take any action in the first place. And looking at Npowers customer service rating I could understand that it may be the latter. But this does not negate the fact that 145 contacted Npower in the first place to palm this bill off to us.

Seems like they are even trying to bill you for a period before you moved in with the charges for Feb/March 2013. Back Billing beyond a year is not allowed.

http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/customers/energy-industry-codes/code-of-practice-for-accurate-bills.html

Mrs_Arcanum

kev100 wrote: »

We are receiving the bill because 145 have told Npower we are the new account holders and that the bill now has to go to us. I dont know the ins and outs of it, and how their billing system works. but the bill used to go to 145, and now since 1 month ago its started to come to us, with our name on it.

I would tell N-Power to remove the meter & de-energise the supply as you do not want it, if they will not bill the neighbours correctly.

footyguy

kev100 wrote: »

Did this yesterday and they told us our name is on the bill so we have to pay it....

I suggest you follow the suppliers complaint procedure rather than listen to some phone jockey.

(Or tell them to put the bill in the name of a Mr D. Cameron, c/o 10 Downing Street, London )

kev100_2

Mrs_Arcanum wrote: »

Seems like they are even trying to bill you for a period before you moved in with the charges for Feb/March 2013. Back Billing beyond a year is not allowed.

http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/customers/energy-industry-codes/code-of-practice-for-accurate-bills.html

Mrs Arcanum, sorry that was my mistake, should be 2015 as the year ..this year. My appologies for that. will correct the post now