Estimated readings

Smuntie

Hi all, I am looking or advice regarding my first energy bill for a new flat we have just rented.
We moved in on the 15/10/2016 and unfortunately did not think to take a meter reading.
Yesterday I entered meter readings onto our account to update our bill and change tariff and have been told we owe £255.69.
I cannot believe that we have used this much and am sure the previous tenant ran there account on estimates only. We have contacted the landlord and they, unfortunately, were away when the previous tenant vacated the property and therefore did not take a meter reading either.

What options do I have if I cannot get a previous meter reading? Am I just going to have to pay this extortionate amount for a month and a half of energy?

Thank you in advance

Smodlet

Hello and welcome to the forum.

If you mean 15/10/16, that is not even a month, yet. Is this date correct or do you mean 15/09? Is this for both gas and electricity?

You could try asking your provider when they last had an accurate meter reading/readings, just in case the previous tenant did supply one/them. Other than that, you could ask them to allow you to monitor your energy usage closely over, say a week or a month and take readings every single day to get a pattern. If you entered the readings every day and proved you use nothing like as much as they have estimated, you may be able to get the bill changed to a more realistic amount but, without proof of what the reading was when you moved in, it will be difficult. The provider will want to be paid for energy consumed and, if you cannot prove you did not consume it...

The only other recourse might be to ask for time to pay but, if you get behind the possibility of having a pre-payment meter forced on you exists (I assume you are on a credit meter as you do not say otherwise)

Going forward, just ensure you input meter readings on the same date every month and it will all adjust itself in time... but you might find you end up paying for some of the previous tenant's usage if you cannot resolve the situation any other way.

HTH.

footyguy

Smuntie wrote: »

Hi all, I am looking or advice regarding my first energy bill for a new flat we have just rented.
We moved in on the 15/10/2016 and unfortunately did not think to take a meter reading.
Yesterday I entered meter readings onto our account to update our bill and change tariff and have been told we owe £255.69.
I cannot believe that we have used this much and am sure the previous tenant ran there account on estimates only. We have contacted the landlord and they, unfortunately, were away when the previous tenant vacated the property and therefore did not take a meter reading either.

What options do I have if I cannot get a previous meter reading? Am I just going to have to pay this extortionate amount for a month and a half of energy?

Thank you in advance

Best to speak to your supplier.

But you will be on the back foot from the start as you do not have the meter reading from the start.

You suggest the previous user was on estimated readings.
I will go one further than that, and perhaps the previous user gave an inaccurate (low) reading when they left the property.

You see, when you want to end your contract because you leave the property, you have to provide a meter reading on the date you leave otherwsie the supplier can bill you until such times as another user creates an account and provides a meter reading.

So usually when a new user fails to create an account, the supplier uses the meter reading supplied by the previous accoiunt holder.
(Hence why both are required to submit a meter reading, then in case of dispute the supplier can sort it out immediately)

Sometimes, especially if the previous account holder has not given the required notice to end their contract, then the supplier may ask the new account holder to prove when they became responsible for the property (e.g. a rental agreement or solicitors completion statement)
Then, if as in your case, you also failed to supply a meter reading on that date, then thge supplier may agree to estimate the reading which they will often do based on your future usage and then backdate it e.g. supply a meter reading today, supply one in 7 days time, and then use that useage to estimate what you used in the previous period from 15/10/2016 allowing for seasonal variations.

All you can do is speak to your supplier and see what they will agree to.

Edit:
I note you say you contacted the landlord, who informed you they were away when the previous tenant left the property.
Are you saying you did not move in on the day the previous tenant left?
In which case, the landlord should be the previous account holder. If that did not happen, perhaps it was the landlord (the one that presumably didn't seem to have bothered providing you with an agreed ingoing statement of condition/inventory either) that used the elctricity you are now being expected to pay for.

spiro

When you moved in didn't the landlord and you check the inventory and record the meter readings? This is normal practice for a good LL. In that case the readings would be on your copy of the inventory. If you didn't you're open to all sorts of possible issues not just with the bills but the LL saying you damaged somethng that was damaged when you move in.