3 year old, estimated bill

footyguy

User456 wrote: »

Out of the blue, I've just had a bill for c.£180 (estimated!) from First Utility, gas and elec. The bill is for ~6 weeks use from the end of Dec 2013 to Feb 2014 for a house that was unoccupied (between tenants).

I checked my records and I have an email from the letting agent stating that they were going to send the meter readings (these tally with the bill) to the utility company and state that the property was unoccupied.

After a bit of email tennis with First Utility, they're stating that I must provide photographic evidence of the meters from Feb 2014, or a copy of the meter readings from when the next tenant moved in.

I don't have that. The letting agent at the time wasn't good so we parted ways sometime in 2014.

I do have 3rd party evidence that the house was unoccupied, so £180 for 6 weeks is clearly off. I only just got the bill too... after more than 3 years.

I'm happy to pay them a reasonable amount. £180 isn't a reasonable amount imo.

Any comments or suggestions would be welcome

If you refer to your records (you may need to get them from your agent) of the outgoing & incoming inventories/statement of condition signed by the appropriate tenants at the time agreeing with the meter readings. then that will show you the consumptioon you are liable for.

Presumably, it bis the actions of the tenants reporting the end/start of a tenancy to the supplier that the supplier got the meter readings they have used for your estimate.

Good luck!