Ittria and Purplebricks

D_M_E

Just change the bills to your name -

No, do not do that

You could be making yourself liable for the previous occupier's consumption - or at least some of it.

Find out who the current suppliers are, read the meters and phone up, give them the meter readings which you took when you moved in and they should set you up with your own account.

https://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/guides/who-supplies-my-electricity-and-gas/

dogshome

Thank you Raxiel for the pointer to Itteria's website


Their Homepage says it all:
Letting Agent Commissions paid to Date................ £5,972,648

Tenant savings to date compared to Spark tariffs......£ 401,327


If were in the OP's shoes I would pay the premium call rates to find the current supplier, and deal direct

hairypitz

It gets better.
The letting agent had to be contacted this morning about our move-in time, he doesn't know the name of the electricity supplier, doesn't know where the meter is and is relying on the landlady/property owners meter reading, which she did last night as the definitive reading. I would be LMAO if the place want absolutely filthy. But as a bonus we did get a pair of the landlady's knickers in the drawers.
Purplebricks are to be avoided like the plague.
Incidentally we now have a 3rd letting manager, who put me on hold, then hung up and has now gone to answerphone. How's that for service!

hairypitz

Gripes aside, what should I do now? I can't get a meter reading because the letting agent didn't know where the meter us and he hasn't found the name of the supplier from the landlady/property owner.

D_M_E

1. Did you look at the link I posted above?

2. Now that you are in the place - you must be since you found various "items" there - take loads of dated and detailed photos of the state and condition of the place so you have a record of move in should you wish to dispute anything at end of rental, particularly if the movein check does not correspond with what you can see.

3. Write to both LL and agent asking for the whereabouts of the meter(s), you have a right to see and read the thing(s) yourself since you will be paying the bill(s) - you have nothing to show that the reading(s) already supplied bear any relation to the actual ones, nor any way of verifying them yourself.

4. If the property is a flat, make sure the meter is actually the one supplying the flat in question.

5. So far, only energy has been mentioned - what about a water meter, if any?

HampshireH

Try and find the meter yourself. If ca not be far away.

If a house check all externals (folloe the pipe supply) and internal cupboards. Sometimes even under the sink or in kitchen cupboards.

If a flat same principle follow the pipe to look externally. Check any communal cupboards holding multiple meters (should have a fire door with a fire door keep locked sign on in a block of flats)

If you locate a batch and cannot identfy it then call your generic number and ask for the meter reference number so you can cross reference.

Don't rely on the agency to do any of this for you.

Take photos of all screens.

hairypitz

Hi D_M_E
Thanks for your reply.
1. I did see your link, I'm aware of this number but I was taken in by Debbie from PurpleBricks saying it would be really nothing to get sorted. Oh how naive I was haha.
I still have the small matter of finding out where my electricity meter is and getting a reading before I can contact the supplier.
There's a meter on the utility cupboard wall. It says a number in kWh but it appears to be connected to a water pipe. It's confusing. I'm not a stupid person but it doesn't look like any of the electricity meters I've encountered previously. I tried switching on the kettle and the reading didn't change (it's digital) I'm a bit stumped. However, I've taken a photo of the reading.
I've looked about the rest of the property but the send to be a locked door and I'm unsure if there's a load of meters behind it.
2. Done the photos and emailed the letting agent.
3. The letting agent have been informed that I don't know the meter location so can't get a reading. They're apparently supposed to be contacting the landlady (whose contact details I don't have and that's probably for the best right now or I'd be also having words about her low cleaning standard and big, filthy, minging knickers)
Purplebricks have also sent me a tenancy tracker app so I can keep track of my tenancy and SURPRISE SURPRISE it doesn't work. So logging stuff like maintenance issues isn't happening either.
Purplebricks are an absolute shower of amateurs.
5 Water meter. I can't see one but I've never had one before. When I get home I'll take a photo on my phone off this mysterious meter in the utility cupboard and post it.

[Deleted User]

hairypitz wrote: »

It gets better.
The letting agent had to be contacted this morning about our move-in time, he doesn't know the name of the electricity supplier, doesn't know where the meter is and is relying on the landlady/property owners meter reading, which she did last night as the definitive reading. I would be LMAO if the place want absolutely filthy. But as a bonus we did get a pair of the landlady's knickers in the drawers.
Purplebricks are to be avoided like the plague.
Incidentally we now have a 3rd letting manager, who put me on hold, then hung up and has now gone to answerphone. How's that for service!

It is entirely up to the occupier to locate the meters for the property.Just ask another flat dweller if you are struggling. Purple Bricks have nothing to do with metering on any property. Its like blaming the local council if someone moves into a council property and expecting a council worker to come out and deal with metering ..
You have to do exactly what every new occupier in the country does and take control yourself of your responsibility in providing correct meter readings as soon as you sign up for the tenancy
If you can t find the meters in a bank of say a dozen meters in a communal cupboard there are simple tests to find your exact meter and its vital serial number which should match the one on the bill. Meters do get "crossed " in communal meter cupboards so I would still do a meter check anyway. Its quick and accurate.
You cannot trust letting agents getting meter readings it correct even if they are receiving a very small commission for starting the supply with a very safe and cheap provider like Octopus.
By the way, I used Purple Bricks in 2 house sales I was involved with and they were excellent in every respect. No complaints.No wonder they are the second largest online estate agents. Saved us a lot of money on local estate agents
If you switch a kettle on your meter would start to pulse the little red light on the meter fairly fast then instantly slow down when the kettle switched off, its not likely to move a full kwh unit in the time you boil a kettle. If your meter had 10 ths of units you could see it advancing That is the way to find your meter in a batch of others, watch for the flashing red light go faster

macman

Water meters measure in cubic metres, not kWh. Gas meters measure in 100's cu ft or cu m. So the meter you refer to is your electricity meter. The 'water pipe' is probably old conduit.

hairypitz

I've realised that it's the thing with kilowatt hours is my meter for the immersion heater. It's on atimer a d hasn't been on all day.so the digital reading hasn't moved
That still leaves the real electricity meter. I've hunted high and low and the only place I can think of now is behind a locked door on the ground floor What am I supposed to do for reading the meter if I can't get to the meter because the filthy minger if a landlady hasn't given me t he key to read my meter? This is a joke.
PS Houbara. You're not my dirty munger of a landlady are you? And if you are, do you want your big orange knickers back?
I also have a condom, a pair of used tights and a sock to add to the collection of things I've found under the bed. Bleurghhhhh