Scottish Power - in debt through no fault of mine

Victoria74

Hi, I have had a 10 year nightmare between SP and my housing association landlord and there is still no end in sight. Moved into a new build '09, which of course had new meters installed during construction. I have never used gas (been capped since move in). I have been charged IGT fees, which is not still active after complaint, and have to pay standing charges for the gas meter being on site, I cannot afford this and the matter has put me in debt, sabotaged credit with a CCJ in '17, debt collectors come and go and the debt keeps rising, SP will not answer anything I ask (including dozens of errors in billing details over the years) they say I cannot have the gas meter removed without landlord consent, which I have repeatedly asked for over the years, to which the landlord (response apportioned to the 'surveyor' stating that the matter is not theirs and is between myself and SP. Bottom line is landlord says this, SP say they cannot remove without consent from the owner of the property and I have to pay. For a supply I have never used, wanted, agreed to, informed of or asked for. No blame can be put on any other possible factors, I am the only tenant since built, new meters, no meter changes, nothing.
Mental health issues have been informed to SP and the ombudsman in '16, yet SP say that they have no knowledge of written declaration of this, also SP say they were not aware of meter being capped (they were, I have paperwork stating I informed them in' 10).
I have been ignored, apart from the super duper computer auto generated bills and warning letters for my trying to have this matter resolved to prevent me getting into further debt, of which I can do nothing about, I have tried everything I can think of, and I seem to be left with just having to move house (which is not easy when it is social housing) to get away from this.
Stonewalled by my landlord, ignored by SP, whose only suggestion is to go to an energy provider who won't charge standing for my gas supply!
The length of time this has gone on for and there is no end or even any hint of a resolution has and still is affecting my health badly.
Is there PLEASE ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS. Lost and scared and very vulnerable
Thank you

antrobus

Victoria74 wrote: »

Hi, I have had a 10 year nightmare between SP and my housing association landlord and there is still no end in sight. Moved into a new build '09, which of course had new meters installed during construction. I have never used gas (been capped since move in). I have been charged IGT fees, which is not still active after complaint, and have to pay standing charges for the gas meter being on site, I cannot afford this and the matter has put me in debt, sabotaged credit with a CCJ in '17, debt collectors come and go and the debt keeps rising, SP will not answer anything I ask (including dozens of errors in billing details over the years) they say I cannot have the gas meter removed without landlord consent, which I have repeatedly asked for over the years, to which the landlord (response apportioned to the 'surveyor' stating that the matter is not theirs and is between myself and SP. Bottom line is landlord says this, SP say they cannot remove without consent from the owner of the property and I have to pay. For a supply I have never used, wanted, agreed to, informed of or asked for. No blame can be put on any other possible factors, I am the only tenant since built, new meters, no meter changes, nothing.
Mental health issues have been informed to SP and the ombudsman in '16, yet SP say that they have no knowledge of written declaration of this, also SP say they were not aware of meter being capped (they were, I have paperwork stating I informed them in' 10).
I have been ignored, apart from the super duper computer auto generated bills and warning letters for my trying to have this matter resolved to prevent me getting into further debt, of which I can do nothing about, I have tried everything I can think of, and I seem to be left with just having to move house (which is not easy when it is social housing) to get away from this.
Stonewalled by my landlord, ignored by SP, whose only suggestion is to go to an energy provider who won't charge standing for my gas supply!
The length of time this has gone on for and there is no end or even any hint of a resolution has and still is affecting my health badly.
Is there PLEASE ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS. Lost and scared and very vulnerable
Thank you

You can't have the gas meter removed without your landlord's consent. If your SP tariff has a standing charge for gas then you have to pay it irrespective of the fact that you have zero usage.

What you should do is switch to a supplier that has no standing charge. Ebico, for example.

See here;
https://www.which.co.uk/news/2017/11/how-to-avoid-paying-a-standing-charge-on-your-energy-bills/

D_M_E

You say the gas has been capped since you moved in.

Gas capped means or should mean no gas supply and this should mean no charges of any kind for gas since there cannot be a supply if it's been capped - that's what I think aqnyway.

I also wonder why you have been charged IGT fees as well.

Have you tried a written complaint to SP and after 8 weeks escalation to Ombudsman?

Have you also tried a setaside for the CCJ on the grounds that no debt should exist as the supply was capped from the start and therefore no transport of gas was possible as the supply was capped before the meter?

[Deleted User]

Gas meters can be removed without the consent of the landlord..Landlord could live anywhere and can be unavailable, as many are.
There are many dangerous bypassed gas meters I have been involved with and the last thing any revenue protection units would be considering would be getting consent from someone who lives, say, abroard
They normally whip them out and replace with a new one , or cap it and would nt dream of contacting some owner of the property who may or maynot be available ..Pretty ludicrous to say that suppliers cannot remove gas meters if they deem it necessary. They do it all the time with court warrants.
Electric meters are different and they are restricted in removal except in extreme circumstances.A capped gas meter could still attract a standing charge .Depends what policy each supplier uses, after all the standing charges cover the extensive pipework to the property , not just the presence of a meter.
..SP , who I work for, are pretty strict.. Eon tho are more relaxed and would nt charge.. You would have to consult SP s terms and conditions , available online, to see if they are correct

Carrot007

Houbara wrote: »

Gas meters can be removed without the consent of the landlord..Landlord could live anywhere and can be unavailable, as many are. .

While that is true, it would also be resonable for the landlord to require re-instatement of the gas supply on leaving which could be expensive if it ends up being pretty much a new install again, as it would after a couple of years).

Matty36

Gas capped or not, u are still liable for the daily standing charge. And why have you allowed this to go on for 10 years?

dogshome

Hmmm - I can recall previous posts regarding the 'deemed' contract that comes into operation when a new occupier moves into a dwelling, whereby Ofgem have ruled that the 'Deemed' contract does not exist until the householder actually uses some Elec/Gas.


This situation is more complex as the L/lord paid to have Gas installed in the home of an existing tenant, but in the first instance it was the L/lord who entered into a supply contract with Scot Power and the IGT pipe owner, and it is to the L/lord that the Standing Charges would revert if the tenant moved out and the property remained empty, but as the tenant has not used any Gas, no 'Deemed' contract has been established between the tenant and suppliers and the Contract charges are still the responsibility of the L/lord


I think the best course of action is to WRITE letters to both Scot Power & the IGT, headed Complaint, setting the history of this saga and pointing out that no 'Deemed' contract exists, and whilst Ofgem the regulator have a policy of not getting involved in consumer complaints, send them copies of the letters.
Getting this in front of Ofgem is the real reason for writing the letters, on which it should be noted " Copy to Ofgem"

Lisi299

Scottish power are part of the big six and adhere to ofgem rules, as you have advised them you suffer from mental health you should fall under the not paying standing charge rule they have in place with the big six.

This covers you to not pay standing charge on gas should you have zero consumption. They don’t need to ask you to have the meter removed as you may have no choice but to leave it in if you live in social housing, as they won’t want the hassle of having it refitted should you move as a live/dead test would need doing etc. Which is all a cost either to them or the energy company.

More information can be found here https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/open-letter-treatment-domestic-households-do-not-use-gas

I would go back and quote this to them and advise you will go to the energy ombudsman should they not help.

fatbelly

antrobus wrote: »

You can't have the gas meter removed without your landlord's consent. If your SP tariff has a standing charge for gas then you have to pay it irrespective of the fact that you have zero usage.

What you should do is switch to a supplier that has no standing charge. Ebico, for example.

See here;
https://www.which.co.uk/news/2017/11/how-to-avoid-paying-a-standing-charge-on-your-energy-bills/

https://ebico.org.uk/energy-plans/ebico-zero-green-fixed/

dogshome

Further thoughts.


This new build had Gas and a capped Meter installed from the outset, which the tenant has never used - So it's a fair bet that the dwelling was also built with Electric for Hot Water and Heating and that all the other dwellings on the estate were the same.


At a guess, it's likely that the H/Associations plan was to fit Gas C/heating to all the dwellings, but then shied away from the cost part way through the build, but the fact remains that was the HA who entered into contracts with Scot Power & the IGT, and unless there is a specific clause
in the letting agreements making the tenants responsible for all Standing Charges on the Gas meters, the HA are stuck with them.


If the guess of the HA shying away from the cost of installing C/heating is correct, VICTORIIA74 is not the only tenant on this development who has this problem - Have a chat with the neighbors !

Barney_Rubble_0403

I have my gas supply capped as I need a new boiler and radiators. Took a while for SSE to stop sending estimated bills but I'm still liable for the standing charge on the meter which has just gone up from £5 to £8 a month. I own my house.

You can't avoid the standing charge but I would have thought that the IGT charge could be challenged.

As suggested, it sounds like a complaint letter is due.