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Advice on offer from developer

borkid
borkid Posts: 2,478 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Car Insurance Carver!
Hi I live in a house backing onto a field where building is going on ie a new village hall. Yesterday the site forman called at my house asking if when they put up the cabin, to be used as an office, they could connect to our electricity supply. he said it would be for about 6 months. In that time they would pay all our electricity bills. basically it would mean that we get free electricity for however long they use it.

I do have a couple of reservations over this but can anyone tell me is this legal?

I think we'll just turn his offer down and suggest he gets a generator.
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Comments

  • Robin9
    Robin9 Posts: 12,364 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    It would be a good neighbourly thing to do.
    Never pay on an estimated bill. Always read and understand your bill
  • iammumtoone
    iammumtoone Posts: 6,377 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper I've been Money Tipped!
    I would speak to your electric supplier and ask their advise if it was possible/legal and how they would ensure the developer paid or if this would be down to you.

    I can see why you are suspicious but I wouldn't just refuse without investigating.

    How much is free Electricity for six months worth to you? If you use very little then perhaps just say no but if you have storage heaters etc and this is proposed through the winter then consider looking into it.
  • ASavvyBuyer
    ASavvyBuyer Posts: 1,737 Forumite
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    borkid wrote: »
    Hi I live in a house backing onto a field where building is going on ie a new village hall. Yesterday the site forman called at my house asking if when they put up the cabin, to be used as an office, they could connect to our electricity supply. he said it would be for about 6 months. In that time they would pay all our electricity bills. basically it would mean that we get free electricity for however long they use it.

    I do have a couple of reservations over this but can anyone tell me is this legal?

    I think we'll just turn his offer down and suggest he gets a generator.

    I would think that it is legal, but I would suggest that you get it in writing from them. It would also save you not having to put up with the noise of the generator running all through the summer!
  • borkid
    borkid Posts: 2,478 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Car Insurance Carver!
    I would speak to your electric supplier and ask their advise if it was possible/legal and how they would ensure the developer paid or if this would be down to you.

    I can see why you are suspicious but I wouldn't just refuse without investigating.

    How much is free Electricity for six months worth to you? If you use very little then perhaps just say no but if you have storage heaters etc and this is proposed through the winter then consider looking into it.
    We only pay £43 per month so not much. It's not the money although we do know the developer has had cash flow problems in the past.
  • borkid
    borkid Posts: 2,478 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Car Insurance Carver!
    I would think that it is legal, but I would suggest that you get it in writing from them. It would also save you not having to put up with the noise of the generator running all through the summer!


    If the chap is to believed the office would be across the field. That's the other thing that makes me suspicious they'd need to run quite a length of cable across. Also we are thinking why not get the electricty in now for the hall rather than 6 months time unless it's cash flow problems which this developer has had during the whole build process of the hall. Also they have built 12 houses, now lived in, several of which are nearer the proposed office.

    We'd definitely get everything in writing.
  • borkid
    borkid Posts: 2,478 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Car Insurance Carver!
    Robin9 wrote: »
    It would be a good neighbourly thing to do.
    We're all for helping out but my instinct is saying be careful. Usually my instinct is right.
  • ASavvyBuyer
    ASavvyBuyer Posts: 1,737 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Does seem strange that they have not already arranged/got an electric supply if they have already started building the village hall.
  • Ilona
    Ilona Posts: 2,449 Forumite
    My gut feeling is that the whole idea sounds ridiculous. What building company sets up a site, starts building, then thinks about where they are going to get electricity from. Definitely no would be my answer.

    Ilona
    I love skip diving.
    :D
  • borkid
    borkid Posts: 2,478 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Car Insurance Carver!
    @savvybuyer and Ilona the whole project has been badly managed, wrong sized frame, cash flow problems and other stuff which I can't remember.
    From what I can tell it's a one man business who contracts out different parts of the job to different contractors. He has had a few projects ie small housing developments in the county.

    Thanks for all the replies.
  • AndyPK
    AndyPK Posts: 4,249 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    do you want a noisy generator near your garden ?
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