Problems with an electricity meter

chippychip

Sorry, if this is not the right board for this enquiry..
My Daughter moved into a rented flat about 6 months ago, and she's always been concerned about the high cost of her electric living there. When she moved in, her landlady stated that it was a pre-payment meter, and unable to change it to a normal type meter, so she could pay through direct debit. She never gave a reason but today, my daughter found out. Her electric has been supplied by EDF, and despite numerous calls to EDF, she couldn't fathom as to why the electric was so high. They asked her to check over the meter so see if it's been tampered with, and my daughter noticed that the meter hasn't come from EDF but another company, that collects debits. My daughter was shocked to find, that she could be paying off the previous tenants debits, at around 70p per £1 The landlady is adamant that the meter CANNOT be swapped.... How does my daughter stand? can she demand the meter to be swapped over??  I've said to her, state your intentions to go, and give the landlady 1 months notice...
Thanks
Chippy

bris

Did your daughter take meter readings when she moved in? This is essential and should be done whether it's pre paid or not.

Has your daughter even registered with EDF as they would have wanted the readings,

The debt is cleared when EDF sent a new card so somethidg isn't right and it seems to me that the old card and tenant are still registered.

The Landlady technichally can't stop you changing the meter but then again they can just give the required notice (England and Wales)  to end the tenancy.

All may not be lost, your daughter can contact EDF with the move in date and explain the situation, it may or may not help but they could back date the the payments from their records (they know every credit you make to a meter) and credit the new card.

Jumblebumble

chippychip said:

Sorry, if this is not the right board for this enquiry..
My Daughter moved into a rented flat about 6 months ago, and she's always been concerned about the high cost of her electric living there. When she moved in, her landlady stated that it was a pre-payment meter, and unable to change it to a normal type meter, so she could pay through direct debit. She never gave a reason but today, my daughter found out. Her electric has been supplied by EDF, and despite numerous calls to EDF, she couldn't fathom as to why the electric was so high. They asked her to check over the meter so see if it's been tampered with, and my daughter noticed that the meter hasn't come from EDF but another company, that collects debits. My daughter was shocked to find, that she could be paying off the previous tenants debits, at around 70p per £1 The landlady is adamant that the meter CANNOT be swapped.... How does my daughter stand? can she demand the meter to be swapped over??  I've said to her, state your intentions to go, and give the landlady 1 months notice...
Thanks
Chippy

I would show the landlady the information given by Ofgem that states that she cannot stop a meter change
To be fair I have come across idiot letting agencies who try to make it a tenancy condition that meters cannot be swapped even though it is the tenants statutory right to do so which cannot be overruled by a tenancy agreement and so the landlady could be confused about your daughters rights
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/tenants-energy-rights-explained

Robin9

chippychip said:

.................... and my daughter noticed that the meter hasn't come from EDF but another company, that collects debits. ..............
Chippy

The name of the supplier on the front of the meter doesn't matter - that would have been the supplier when originally installed. When you change supplier the ownership of the meter effectively changes with it.

I don't understand the collects debts comment.

As has been said it looks like this went wrong from Day 1 when your daughter moved in. Did she ring Edf and get her own token ?

sheramber

Who does she pay the direct debit to? A prepayment meter is not normally paid for by direct debit.

p00hsticks

sheramber said:

Who does she pay the direct debit to? A prepayment meter is not normally paid for by direct debit.

I think the OP says that she is unable to switch to a non-prepayment meter so that she could then pay by direct debit - not that she currently is paying by direct debit.

sheramber

Ah, comma in wrong place.