Got an email from the agent today to setup CT/elec/gas/bb/water etc for me, should I?

user225688

It is called home move in assistant.

I made a post before saying that where I will live I won't be able to get any choice of suppliers due to the building supplying all individual flats but I messaged with the landlord and they told me I will be able to get the utilities at the standard rate from them directly.

However the agent today sent me an email to setup via their system which will setup council tax, elec, bb, water, gas but I think that might be in error since the landlord already said I can't get any choice in thing so imagine there is a miscommunication there.

What is with all these companies wanting to meddle in your council tax?

1st I doubt it is relevant to my situation anyway given the discussions I had previous with the landlord but second would their system going cost more? I looked it up and saw spark is an affiliate of the agent system which I guess would add money on to what I would be paying.

I want to do my own stuff not have outside forces meddling in my things. Can I just refuse to use that and say I will do it myself. Anyway I think point one supersedes it but I have to check that first so if not what about the latter point.

Robin9

user225688 wrote: »

............ I looked it up and saw spark is an affiliate of the agent system which I guess would add money on to what I would be paying.

I want to do my own stuff not have outside forces meddling in my things. Can I just refuse to use that and say I will do it myself. Anyway I think point one supersedes it but I have to check that first so if not what about the latter point.

They are trying it on - there will be a back-hander for the agent.

What does your lease say ?


Council Tax is nothing to do with any utility supplier.

Spark cannot supply water - only the local distributor (in my case Severn Trent)

The only time you don't have an option is where there is a communal heating system - even so elec, bb etc are your choice

user225688

Robin9 wrote: »

They are trying it on - there will be a back-hander for the agent.

What does your lease say ?


Council Tax is nothing to do with any utility supplier.

Spark cannot supply water - only the local distributor (in my case Severn Trent)

The only time you don't have an option is where there is a communal heating system - even so elec, bb etc are your choice

I know CT has nothing to do with utilities, but it is just another thing they can 'manage' for you for a fee I guess.

I remember it saying in the contract that I agree to have them set things up via spark - although I see that that company is now deprecated - I presume whatever the latest iteration is.

They can't do it if they wanted to in this case I think given what the landlord told me. So I will tell them that. Am I still allowed to refuse it even though they put it in the tenancy agreement that I agreed to use their services for that; ie is it another one of those 'unenforceable' clauses or not?

need_an_answer

As a LL when I first started the agency I agency I chose for a fully managed service used this type of service for tenants

As far as I am aware the service was free to the tenant and just umbrella'd the utilities together.
what fee have you been quoted for the service?

Iam aware of Spark also as an energy supplier(they previously provided electricity to a property I own)...I didn't find they had particular good customer service...infact I almost had to take them to the ombudsman over an issue....and at the time their prices were very high compared to other suppliers in the market.

user225688

I just found an article which puts it in black and white

Tili does all the work to deliver a smooth home move for customers and income for agents.
An innovative and easy to use PropTech tool, Tili lets home movers set up their essential utilities in just ten taps and three minutes while offering new income streams for the property industry, offsetting the impact of industry changes like the tenant fee ban.

Regardless of whether it is free for me or not I don't want someone else handling my accounts, especially not things like CT.

G_M

I don't recall your previous post (and too lazy to search - hence always better to stick to one thread!) - is your property in some way linked to the building's utility supplies? If so, you may have no choice but to use those. (though not CT).


If not, you are free to choose your own supplier. If your tenancy agreement states you must use a specific supplier, I'd like to know how the LL/agent can enforce that.It would not be grounds to evict, though I suppose they could serve a S21 to expire at the end of your (6? 12month?) fixed term.


Unlikely. Why would a LL evict a reliable, known tenant just because they use British Gas instead of Spark?

user225688

G_M wrote: »

I don't recall your previous post (and too lazy to search - hence always better to stick to one thread!) - is your property in some way linked to the building's utility supplies? If so, you may have no choice but to use those. (though not CT).


If not, you are free to choose your own supplier. If your tenancy agreement states you must use a specific supplier, I'd like to know how the LL/agent can enforce that.It would not be grounds to evict, though I suppose they could serve a S21 to expire at the end of your (6? 12month?) fixed term.


Unlikely. Why would a LL evict a reliable, known tenant just because they use British Gas instead of Spark?

I just had another look at the TA and it just says they will pass your information on to OVO/Spark for the purposes of notifying the relevant companies of your move-in so I suppose it is merely an information sharing clause rather than you must use X supplier.

Your surmise is correct re;

is your property in some way linked to the building's utility supplies? If so, you may have no choice but to use those.

and this was discussed between the LL and I but it appears the agents were not aware of this and have just sent me the email in OP as their standard protocol. I will let them know that.

G_M

Then just ignore the email. I assume there is live gas/leckie supply? Make a note of the meter readings and in due course you'll doubtless get a billfrom the Building management or whoever.


Contact the council about CT.

need_an_answer

On the other hand I have nothing but good things to say about OVO....they even pay interest on credit balances and their customer service IMO is excellent.

You might find you want to contact them independently anyway and not as part of any tie in.

D_M_E

Don't forget to ask the council for the single person's 25% discount on the council tax - that is if you are going to be a single occupier.

some agents don't seem to understand this point.

Chandler85

I am assuming the agent may be part of Countrywide.

Don't do it, sort it all yourself. Someone I know did it and ended up with two companies claiming they were going/ were supplying the gas/ elec. So needed to pay for like 4 days supply.

They also address the letters to "the occupier" despite them apparently knowing your details, so the service affectively does nothing.

They don't do the council tax at all.

They do nothing with the water either.

Basically agent gets a back hanger and you get a headache.