Who Pays For Bills Before Completion?

LeagueOfWolf

I finally completed on friday! Congratulations to me on the longest most stressful journey of my life lol but I turned up and theres a bunch of letters that I opened saying The New Occupant owes bills between March - April ?
I wasn't even there between those times I completed Friday 12th May so am I liable to pay for bills before that ? I need to wait until Monday before I call up but my friends seem to think I have to as the seller notified the electricity supplier they let go of the flat 3 months ago (when the sale started going through)
Any help thanks!
:j

Pixie5740

Why do you need to wait until Monday to phone up? Most utility suppliers have contact centres open over the weekends. Did you take meter readings when you got the keys on Friday?

You are responsible for the utilities from Friday. The previous owners are responsible for the March - April bill and any other usage plus standing charges up to the date you completed.

davidmcn

LeagueOfWolf wrote: »

my friends seem to think I have to as the seller notified the electricity supplier they let go of the flat 3 months ago (when the sale started going through)

Your friends are idiots.

Davesnave

You have proof of when you became the owner.

Utility bills IRO the property before that are no concern of yours.

P.S. You did read the meter(s) on taking possession, didn't you?

LeagueOfWolf

Thanks for that! It's giving me some peace of mind I could't find anything whilst googling!

I called the electricity supplier the voicemail said they're only open Mon-Fri and then Sat(2pm)

And yeah I took photo of the readings when I went to see the property. Many thanks all :T

always_sunny

Usually when you move in (as the owner) you take the reading and give it to the supplier.
Assuming at completion everyone is doing the usual - go and collect keys - at the same time there's no much power they could syphon out!

G_M

What are the bills for?

Utilities are based on contracts and yours was eemed to start on Completion. Usage before then is not your problem. Give meter reading to suppliers.

Ground rent/service charges (on leasehold) relate to the property, not the occupant, so you will be responsible for these if they are unpaid.

Cakeguts

Have you changed the locks? You are only responsible for gas, electricity, water, council tax,etc from the date that you owned the property. The previous owner pays these type of bills for the time before you were the owner.

TBagpuss

Yes, as others have said, you are only responsible for the bills from Friday onwards. So contact the suppliers, notify them that you completed on Friday, give them the meter readings you took on Friday when you got the keys, and confirm to them that until Friday, the property belonged to, and was the responsibility of [name of your seller]. If you have one, you can give them the seller's forwarding address but you don't have to, and tracking them down is the utility company's problem, not yours.

Just because the seller may have told them they'd moved out doesn't create any liability for you - you nether owned the property, nor lived there, until friday.

AnotherJoe

LeagueOfWolf wrote: »

but my friends seem to think I have to as the seller notified the electricity supplier they let go of the flat 3 months ago (when the sale started going through)
Any help thanks!
:j

By that logic, be thankful the sellers didn't move out 5 years ago and tell the electricity company then, or you'd owe for that as well

kingstreet

You have/will have a completion statement from your solicitor confirming completion and date.

This is your evidence, if required.