Disputed Meter Reading after leaving rental property

mistrey

I'd appreciate some help here.


Company: First Utility
Moved out of rented accommodation: 24th Sept 2015
Gave meter readings: 24th September 2015
Transferred account to new property: Sept 24th 2015
Received final bill for rental property: November 2015
Received text stating need to pay bill: today
Called First Utility to see what it related to: Today
Received bill: Never received. They don't know when it was sent


The detail can be seen here:




I have been with First Utility for ages (always check I am on a good tariff and have never had any issues. In Sept 2015 I moved house (out of a rental property into one I bought), and rang and informed them, gave meter readings and transferred my tariff to my new property.


I received a final bill which was paid and merrily went about paying for the fuel at my new property. Roll forward 16 months and I received a test message asking if I wanted a smart meter installed. I responded and arranged a date only for no one to turn up. Further investigation by phone revealed they still had my number listed at my old address and had gone there to fit the meter!


This morning I received another text message from them saying I that I needed to pay my bill. As I pay by direct debit I called them to see why I had received it. This is where is gets more complicated:
Apparently someone else has moved into the property and given different meter readings for when they have moved in and First Utility have decided I must have given false reading when I moved out. Apparently the new tenants sent them photo's of the readings when they moved in.


I know that they new tenants didn't move in for at least a month after I moved out as I know all the neighbours. I didn't keep any evidence of what the readings where when I moved out (took photos but lost my phone).
To my mind the landlord should have come and taken his own readings when I moved out, but he didn't even come and take the keys off me, I posted them back through the letter box (after 10 years as his tenant he trusted me) and he is responsible for any period between when I moved out and when new tenants moved in.


First Utility (after 1.5 hours on the phone) disagree and are saying I owe it and must pay it. I have never received a bill for it despite being a current customer and them admitting they have a forwarding address for me, I also still have mail forwarding at the old address. They are saying I must pay.
Can anyone advise me of my rights?

footyguy

mistrey wrote: »

I'd appreciate some help here.


Company: First Utility
Moved out of rented accommodation: 24th Sept 2015
Gave meter readings: 24th September 2015
Transferred account to new property: Sept 24th 2015
Received final bill for rental property: November 2015
Received text stating need to pay bill: today
Called First Utility to see what it related to: Today
Received bill: Never received. They don't know when it was sent


The detail can be seen here:




I have been with First Utility for ages (always check I am on a good tariff and have never had any issues. In Sept 2015 I moved house (out of a rental property into one I bought), and rang and informed them, gave meter readings and transferred my tariff to my new property.


I received a final bill which was paid and merrily went about paying for the fuel at my new property. Roll forward 16 months and I received a test message asking if I wanted a smart meter installed. I responded and arranged a date only for no one to turn up. Further investigation by phone revealed they still had my number listed at my old address and had gone there to fit the meter!


This morning I received another text message from them saying I that I needed to pay my bill. As I pay by direct debit I called them to see why I had received it. This is where is gets more complicated:
Apparently someone else has moved into the property and given different meter readings for when they have moved in and First Utility have decided I must have given false reading when I moved out. Apparently the new tenants sent them photo's of the readings when they moved in.


I know that they new tenants didn't move in for at least a month after I moved out as I know all the neighbours. I didn't keep any evidence of what the readings where when I moved out (took photos but lost my phone).
To my mind the landlord should have come and taken his own readings when I moved out, but he didn't even come and take the keys off me, I posted them back through the letter box (after 10 years as his tenant he trusted me) and he is responsible for any period between when I moved out and when new tenants moved in.


First Utility (after 1.5 hours on the phone) disagree and are saying I owe it and must pay it. I have never received a bill for it despite being a current customer and them admitting they have a forwarding address for me, I also still have mail forwarding at the old address. They are saying I must pay.
Can anyone advise me of my rights?

You have the right to a proper, fully detailed bill for any amount they are demanding

The meter readings that were entered and agreed (by the landlord/agents signature) on your outgoing statement of condition/inventory should be good enough proof of the meter readings on the day you left.

It could be that if the new tenant did not move in the day you left, the landlord should be paying for the energy used at the property during the period it was unoccupied.
You will be able to prove the day your teanancy ended. As you gave the supplier that detail on or before you left, you are not expected to pay for any energy used thereafter.

When you get the detailed bill, then you will be able to tell what they are attempting to charge you for, and a decision on how best to proceed can than be made.

mistrey

Thank you for your response, perhaps I wasn't clear in my original post:

footyguy wrote: »

You have the right to a proper, fully detailed bill for any amount they are demanding

The meter readings that were entered and agreed (by the landlord/agents signature) on your outgoing statement of condition/inventory should be good enough proof of the meter readings on the day you left. As stated in my original post, the landlord didn't do an inventory check. I posted my keys through the door. My landlord paid the deposit back on my say so that I had left the house as agreed. I had lived there for 10 years, he trusted me.

It could be that if the new tenant did not move in the day you left, the landlord should be paying for the energy used at the property during the period it was unoccupied. They didn't move in for over a month
You will be able to prove the day your teanancy ended. As you gave the supplier that detail on or before you left, you are not expected to pay for any energy used thereafter. I agree, First Utility don't. They want me to prove I didn't give them false readings!!! And are charging me based on the new tenants readings when they moved in

When you get the detailed bill, then you will be able to tell what they are attempting to charge you for, and a decision on how best to proceed can than be made.

Oh, to have received a bill! Lol

Cardew

mistrey wrote: »

I'd appreciate some help here.


Transferred account to new property: Sept 24th 2015


I have been with First Utility for ages (always check I am on a good tariff and have never had any issues. In Sept 2015 I moved house (out of a rental property into one I bought), and rang and informed them, gave meter readings and transferred my tariff to my new property.

What do you mean by 'transferred account to new property'?

You cannot transfer an account - the account is tied to that property and meter serial number.

When you move to a new property you are placed on a legally binding 'deemed contract' with whoever is supplying gas/electricity to that property.

You can then apply switch to First Utility and will get a new account. Until the switch is made you are liable to pay the old supplier for the energy consumed.

In the same way whoever became responsible for your old house will be on a binding 'deemed contract' with First Utility.

Your situation happens many times, and IMO the landlord will be responsible for any consumption between your meter readings and the new tenant's meter readings.

Energy companies cannot and will not, get involved in 'Third person disputes' and to be fair to First Utility they have no way of attributing responsibility.

Unless it is a huge sum, they will probably write it off. However just check that no 'black mark' entry has been made against your credit record.

footyguy

mistrey wrote: »

My landlord paid the deposit back on my say so that I had left the house as agreed. I had lived there for 10 years, he trusted me.

He may have trusted you, but you should not have trusted him! :eek: