Tenants rights to switch from prepaid meter to credit meter?

Greg84

Hi everyone,

My first time posting on MSE but a long time reader! Hoping someone can help, I'm currently renting a flat through a local letting agents, which has a pay as you go meter system for the electricity and gas. When I signed the lease agreement I wasn't aware that it was PAYG meters, but probably my fault for not checking the small print correctly! I've been in the property for 9 months now, and recently contacted my agent to see if it would now be possible to switch to credit meters. They simply said no, as the landlord had problems with a previous tenant leaving a debt to the property so now prefers PAYG meters?

Before I go back to them, I wanted to ask if there's any rights for me to be able to request the change of meters? It seems unfair that I'm probably paying more for my utility bills, because of a problematic tenant in the past, and it's also an inconvenience as I'm always forgetting to top-up - I had been used to a credit meter in previous properties.

Thanks in advance for any help! :beer:
Greg

Owain_Moneysaver

You are allowed to change energy suppliers or change from prepaid to credit meters. You have to pay any charges for doing so and if it says in the tenancy agreement might have to pay any charge for putting a prepaid meter back when you leave.

Any contract term prohibiting you changing supplier would be unlikely to be regarded as unfair and unenforceable.

Energy debts are personal and do not attach to the property.

Greg84

Hi Owain,

Thanks for your reply, that's very useful, and I thought the same regarding the energy debts, so didn't really understand when they came back with that! Is there anything online I can include a link to, when emailing them back? To backup my case?

Thanks,
Greg

footyguy

http://images2.moneysavingexpert.com/attachment/landlordfactsheet.pdf

Greg84

Thanks footyguy!

chanz4

Hate to tell them, but they don't own the meters so the supplier can change no matter what