Overcharged Tariff

Staffs007

I am renting a two bedroom flat on my own. I signed the lease and took over on 29th November and used Octopus energy to supply gas and electric from 18th December. 

I did not move onto the flat for a month but did visit and kit it out. 

I have now received a bill from British Gas for £178 for the period from when I took over the lease to the 18th Dec. I realised that I need to lay someone, but the tariff seems way  over the top when I didn’t agree to it at the time 18.271p per KWh. 

Can I challenge the tariff at all? I accept I need to pay someone but........

notbritishgas

When you moved in you did ring britishgas to set up an account and give them meter readings?
At that point you were on a deemed tariff (expensive), if you did not change to a cheaper tariff then you would have accepted that tariff.
As the cheaper tariffs would mostly be fixed and you obviously wanted to change supplier then I suspect you are lumbered with the bill.

Talldave

An uncompetitive tariff isn't such a big issue for just under 3 weeks at an empty property.  The issue is more likely to be the quantity of energy being billed for. Did you contact British Gas on the 29th Nov and tell them you were the new occupant? What dates does the bill cover? (They might be trying to bill you for the previous occupants' energy).  What were the meter readings on 29th Nov and 18th Dec and do they match the British Gas bill?

Robin9

Talldave said:

............... (They might be trying to bill you for the previous occupants' energy).  What were the meter readings on 29th Nov and 18th Dec and do they match the British Gas bill?

That's the crunch - what you and the previous tenant did or didn't do on Nov 29th and