Standing charges for a defunct electricity meter - HELP

randomkags

Hi 

Hopefully someone can help me with this one. We moved back in July to a renovated older home and changed utility company to utility warehouse  from Scottish Power. 
I've checked the bills and we are being charged for a defunct electricity meter at the property. United utilities have been estimating the bills for this abut this has been rectified and I have now had a refund. 

My issue now is that they are still charging a standing charge of approx £7 per month and advised that this will continue to be incurred until the meter is removed. They have refused to remove the meter and advised it is Scottish Power's responsibility. On contacting them they advised that it is nothing to do with them and it is the responsibility of utility warehouse . If left it will add up top an additional £84 per year simply for having an old defunct meter in the house. 

I have drawn a blank as not are saying it is not theory responsibility. Does any one have any useful advice please? 

Brie

Not sure if it's possible but could an electrician remove it?

MWT

If Utility Warehouse are receiving the standing charge for the defunct meter then they are responsible for it and should arrange for it to be removed for you (at a cost).

They can't have it both ways, either it is not their meter in which case they should not be billing you, or it is their meter and they can remove it.

The problem has occurred because at some point in the past the house was on a complex-meter tariff like THTC which used 2 meters, the wiring has been changed at some point, but the meter was not removed at the same time.

Gerry1

Brie said:

Not sure if it's possible but could an electrician remove it?

Wouldn't stop the bills, and the OP might have to bury the electrician...

randomkags

Thanks for the replies - Utility warehouse  are arguing that its is the responsibility of the network operator for my area which is Scottish power. They say it is the responsibility of the network provider to de-energise the service - it's apparently dangerous so this part can't be completed by an electrician so as Gerry states I wouldn't want to also have to bury the electrician. 

MWT - I'm also happy to pay to have removed but currently both companies are stating it's not their responsibility. 

wakeupalarm

You may need to speak to the network company rather then the retail supply company.

Try
SP Energy Networks
0800 092 9290 for Scotland
0800 001 5400 for N Wales and NW England.

Just had a further look and SP Energy Networks website here says  

Note that if you only need the meter removed you should contact your electricity supplier and they’ll be able to assist. For all other enquiries, our design teams will work with you to create the most cost-effective design for your project.

So for meter only disconnection it looks like the retail supply company is responsible.
Maybe stick in a formal complaint to UW refering to the SP Energy Networks website link and take it to the Energy ombudsman service if UW still won't do anything.

Carrot007

The supplier should removed the meter and the DNO should remove the supply. (You should still be charged a standing charge unless the supply is removed, but you may not if you can convince your supplier to bodge it like that (they should not as you would still be their customer)).

They will both charge for this (expect £2000 ish overall) as they will need to arrange a time for 2 engineers to attend site.

Of course it used to be a lot easier when you DNO tended yo also be your supplier.

There should also be no problem with just the DNO doing it as the meter could belong to anyone and never usually a supplier and they should have procedures to get it back to whoever owns it (who will probably put it in a skip anyway).

Maybe you are confusing the DNO by saying removal of meter. What you want is a supply removal.

Flight3287462

I think wakeupalarm has nailed it.  Two different sides of the same coin but probably don't speak to each other.

Fred2712

The supplier should removed the meter and then they will send a message flow to the DNO who will then De-energise the supply on the Electric national database.

Ectophile

There is a legal "loophole" that may help you, but only if:-

• Nothing has been connected to the meter and switched on since you moved in to the house
  

• You have never acknowledged that you owe any money on that meter, or signed up as a customer with whoever supplies the meter.

The way the Electricity Act is worded, you become a customer of the existing supplier when you "take a supply".  If you have never "taken a supply", then you aren't a customer of theirs.  If you aren't a customer, then they have no basis to bill you for anything.

So if you think that the above applies, insist that you are not their customer, and refuse to pay any bills.  Open a formal complaint if necessary.

Curiousgirl1

Ectophile said:

There is a legal "loophole" that may help you, but only if:-

• Nothing has been connected to the meter and switched on since you moved in to the house
  

• You have never acknowledged that you owe any money on that meter, or signed up as a customer with whoever supplies the meter.

The way the Electricity Act is worded, you become a customer of the existing supplier when you "take a supply".  If you have never "taken a supply", then you aren't a customer of theirs.  If you aren't a customer, then they have no basis to bill you for anything.

So if you think that the above applies, insist that you are not their customer, and refuse to pay any bills.  Open a formal complaint if necessary.

That wouldn’t work in this case. The OP signed up with UW & both meters were transferred over so they have knowingly signed up as a customer. 

UW should arrange the meter removal, once it’s gone it will be removed from the account & no more standing charge. The incoming service doesn’t need to be removed for this to happen. Standing charge only kicks in when a meter is present