Kafkaesque????

Mr_Singleton

There was a fire Transco??? officially switched off the gas and electricity for safety reasons.

Young relative is trying to get a final bill. BG say the standing charge will continue until the meters are formally removed 8 weeks after the fire. The meters were completely undamaged.
Basically.... is that correct?

I've tried to get involved but am just going around in circles.
Thanks

Robin9

If it takes 8 weeks to disconnect it takes 8 weeks.

If there is an insurance claim will not the disconnection of utilities and their reconnection be part of the claim ?

Mr_Singleton

Robin9 wrote: »

If there is an insurance claim will not the disconnection of utilities and their reconnection be part of the claim ?

As a tenant he's responsible for the Gas & Electric. He's trying to get a final bill but that includes a standing charge for time when the utilities had been officially switched off. A standing charge is due for the provision of the utilities but they haven't been providing them so how can they charge for it? The electric is also an estimate which is much higher than it should be.

Robin9

Mr_Singleton wrote: »

................ The electric is also an estimate which is much higher than it should be.

Read the meters and send off to BG.

Talldave

If the meters are undamaged, provide the correct readings. Surely there are bigger problems to deal with after a fire than a few pounds in standing charges? But as suggested above, such costs may be covered by insurance.

Benight

Mr_Singleton wrote: »

As a tenant he's responsible for the Gas & Electric. He's trying to get a final bill but that includes a standing charge for time when the utilities had been officially switched off. A standing charge is due for the provision of the utilities but they haven't been providing them so how can they charge for it? The electric is also an estimate which is much higher than it should be.

If the meters are undamaged, why are they being removed?

If the home is currently not inhabitable, the landlord should be arranging alternative accomodation for their tenant (assuming the tenant did not deliberately cause the fire, in which case I'm sure Her Majesty would be providing alternative accomodation)
The landlord's insurance should cover the cost of alternative accomodation.
Therefore, your 'young relative' is no longer responsible for the utilities at the now uninhabitable property; the final bill should be up to to date the property became uninhabitable
(from then on it's the landlord's responsibility, again hopefully covered by the landlord's insurance)

There was a recent thread on a similar matter here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6009228/fire-and-meter-readings

Coincidence?

Edit: oh that was by you too! :cool:

As was this one too
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6004264/council-tax-rent-query


This earlier thread my be related indirectly too, in particular to the fire
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5998237/wondering

Bertles

From reading some of your other threads, your relative has moved out and wont be returning any time soon. In this case they should just tell the supplier they have moved out and let the landlord deal with the meter issues.

Mr_Singleton

Bertles wrote: »

From reading some of your other threads, your relative has moved out and wont be returning any time soon. In this case they should just tell the supplier they have moved out and let the landlord deal with the meter issues.

Yes but the problem0 is getting a correct final bill which BG have said they can't do until the meters have been removed leading to 6 weeks of a standing charge for a service they themselves have terminated.

Mr_Singleton

Just thought can the utilitiies end date be backdated to the day of the fire?

WiseOwll

8 weeks worth of standing charges can’t be that much...?