Previous Occupants Bill

Cal2051

G_M wrote: »

can you think of a reason not to?

No, I suppose not. I will tell them if they send anymore bills. Thanks!

giddypenguin

theartfullodger wrote: »

That would be the Data Protection Act 1998...

mind you under s35 if the utility company raise that issue it would probably be prudent to release said info: But only when asked, not voluntarily (??)

AFAIK - the data protection act is for companies and organisations - not individuals. So EDF couldn't release the vendors forwarding address to the OP but the other way round is fine.

elverson

What date did you complete - was it the same day you moved in?

TBagpuss

Write to EDF to state that you only purchased and moved into the property on 17th and that the sellers was [name and address] to whom any enquiries relating to any period before that should be directed.

Callie22

EDF did a similar thing to me. We moved out of a rented property and called to close the account, paid the final bill and forgot about it. About six months after moving out I got a letter from a debt collection agency saying that there were going to send bailiffs round to my new address to take goods to cover the cost of the unpaid bill - which was from the day we moved out to the day the new tenants obviously moved in. The letter was pretty threatening and said that I would be liable for all sorts of costs.

I called EDF and played merry hell with them, as at no point over the previous six months had they made any attempt to contact me to sort this out - they had my new address, an email address and two phone numbers but their only action had been to send a letter to the old address, addressed to 'the occupier' (which I obviously hadn't received). What really annoyed me was that I had spoken to someone on the day we closed the account and had clearly told them it was a rented house, and I'd even given them the landlord's name and the name and address of the agency.

So I'd say watch out for EDF and call them to sort this out, otherwise you could end up with bailiffs knocking at your door. EDF don't really seem to understand that 'renting' means 'I don't own the house so I'm not liable for bills after I move out'.

glasgowdan

They won't send baliffs to recover 2 weeks' energy bills. Reply, with a copy of your tenancy agreement showing the move in date. And if they send any other letters just ignore them.

G_M

giddypenguin wrote: »

AFAIK - the data protection act is for companies and organisations - not individuals. So EDF couldn't release the vendors forwarding address to the OP but the other way round is fine.

https://www.gov.uk/data-protection/the-data-protection-act

Thank goodness! Otherwise bl**dy PC gone mad again.......

thequant

Cal2051 wrote: »

Hi, i'll try and be to the point.

We have purchased a house that was tenanted, we moved in on the 17th December, previous tenants moved out on the 1st December (I believe). Everything went fine with the sale.

Called EDF energy on day of completion (tell them meter readings, got a quote, decided to stick with them as well priced). Direct debit setup etc all fine.

Couple of days later get a bill addressed to "The Occupier from 01/12/15 - 17/12/15 for £63 gas & electric. Didn't think too much of it just called them and said I have forwarded this bill onto the seller of the house and please don't send the bill to our address again as obviously we are not going to be paying it.

Since then two more bills through the same except that the last one detailed seven days to pay (received Sat) or debt will be passed to a external debtors company.

Obviously concerned that I will have random debtors turning up at the house or the address will be credit blacklisted in some way (not sure if this is a thing still?).

Any advice on what to do, I assume send them a letter? Any advice would be much appreciated.

few bullet points,

1) Addresses being blacklisted was never a "thing"

2) These bills are addressed "occupier" so the company can circumvent harassment laws.

3) Without a name on the bill, they can't legally enforce

4) If they do put a name on the bill (not unknown for them to add your name when you contact them to tell them it's not your bill), they then run into problem 2)

5) if bills reads ""The Occupier from 01/12/15 - 17/12/15", then if this is not you, you are no legal obligation to do anything, it is neither your name or the time you resided there. If it read "Joe Bloggs" instead of "The occupier" would you feel the need to entangle yourself in someone else dispute ?

tired999

We bought our first house, that had been tenanted, 8 years ago. A baliff came around 2 days after we moved in to recover a debt from the last tenant. We weren't in so they left a number to call. We called them and answered a few questions and they never contacted us again. We did get a number of other bills and calls as the tennant had not paid any bills for over 2 years and even had someone chasing her for unpaid council tax from a different address! She was a single parent on benefits but had the full sky package, gym membership store cards etc., all of which she hadn't paid for. We didn't have her address so just told people calling the name of the letting agent.

AdrianC

Dan-Dan wrote: »

Could also just as easily be incompetence on behalf of the energy company

thats as likely as the previous owners doing a runner

No, far simpler - the vendor thought they could get away with that fortnight's-worth of bills.

£63 sounds a lot for such a short time - did the tenants leave the heating turned up before they moved out? Poor show on the part of their landlord/agent not making sure that was ticked off when they checked the place over at check-out. The bill could have been a couple of quid on top of just the standing charge.