Paying for the wrong electric meter!!

zie7

I moved into a commercial retail back in 2016. The letting agent informed me that the middle meter is mine and the rest 12 belong to the flats upstairs. 
Since 2016 I have been paying for that meter. Now due to the high bills coming in i'm getting billed way too much at £4000 a month which i couldn't make sense off.

 I went and examined the meter and noticed there was a large wire going upstairs which cannot be connected to us. So I called a local electrician to examine whats going on and if maybe if someone is stealing my electric. Turns out the the meter was never mine. That meter belongs to the landlord supply that powers the building lights, lifts ETC. 

According to the electrician we don't have a meter. 
When I asked my landlord agents they informed me i should've had one installed. But I moved in after another tenant left. and was informed that I did have a meter. 

Where do I stand now? 
I have been paying my for the landlord supply which is around £70,000-£85,000 for the 6 years I have been here and I have no meter. 

Not sure where I go from here...

[Deleted User]

I think that you will probably need legal advice to review what you signed up to in your rental contract.

pochase

So from what meter has your energy been supplied?

I have doubt that you don't have a meter at all and got "free" electricity.

Was the meter you believed is yours registered with two different suppliers by your landlord and yourself? We have quite often that the meters are switched between flats, but I have not seen a case where somebody is paying for the wrong meter, but there is no meter for him.

zie7

pochase said:

So from what meter has your energy been supplied?

I have doubt that you don't have a meter at all and got "free" electricity.

Was the meter you believed is yours registered with two different suppliers by your landlord and yourself? We have quite often that the meters are switched between flats, but I have not seen a case where somebody is paying for the wrong meter, but there is no meter for him.

All the meters are placed in the communal area. 
In total there are 13 
12 to flats up stairs and 1 which I thought was mine is not. 

To receive electricity isn't there a need for a meter to be connected or no electricity? 
For the payments I made what can I do about that? 

MWT

zie7 said:

To receive electricity isn't there a need for a meter to be connected or no electricity? 
For the payments I made what can I do about that? 

I would ask your electrician to check where your supply is connected...

It is entirely possible that the meter is your meter, it just happens that the landlord's supply is also on the same meter in which case you need to reach an agreement with them to split the charges, then get your own meter installed.

Aylesbury_Duck

Given that you are a business tenant, and that the sums involved are substantial, you should consult your solicitor.

Robin9

MWT said:

zie7 said:

To receive electricity isn't there a need for a meter to be connected or no electricity? 
For the payments I made what can I do about that? 

I would ask your electrician to check where your supply is connected...

It is entirely possible that the meter is your meter, it just happens that the landlord's supply is also on the same meter in which case you need to reach an agreement with them to split the charges, then get your own meter installed.

I agree with MWT but suggest it's your landlord that ought to get his own meter.

As a commercial unit - shop ? then £4000 a month is quite possible (no flat is going to do that). The landlords needs is probably quite small - stairwell lighting, security alarms 

slipthru

Robin9 said:

MWT said:

zie7 said:

To receive electricity isn't there a need for a meter to be connected or no electricity? 
For the payments I made what can I do about that? 

I would ask your electrician to check where your supply is connected...

It is entirely possible that the meter is your meter, it just happens that the landlord's supply is also on the same meter in which case you need to reach an agreement with them to split the charges, then get your own meter installed.

I agree with MWT but suggest it's your landlord that ought to get his own meter.

As a commercial unit - shop ? then £4000 a month is quite possible (no flat is going to do that). The landlords needs is probably quite small - stairwell lighting, security alarms 

He mentions lifts to the flats. I wonder how much that costs a month to run.

Alnat1

Get your local electrician back and ask him to remove that large wire that goes upstairs.........

SAC2334

slipthru said:

Robin9 said:

MWT said:

zie7 said:

To receive electricity isn't there a need for a meter to be connected or no electricity? 
For the payments I made what can I do about that? 

I would ask your electrician to check where your supply is connected...

It is entirely possible that the meter is your meter, it just happens that the landlord's supply is also on the same meter in which case you need to reach an agreement with them to split the charges, then get your own meter installed.

I agree with MWT but suggest it's your landlord that ought to get his own meter.

As a commercial unit - shop ? then £4000 a month is quite possible (no flat is going to do that). The landlords needs is probably quite small - stairwell lighting, security alarms 

He mentions lifts to the flats. I wonder how much that costs a month to run.

Lifts will cost a lot more than a few led lights on in stairways. 12 flats is odd to have a lift though as its only ground floor and two other floors at the  most 

Robin9

Outside your opening hours get the electrician back and get him to open the main switch by the meter and see what goes off (but put  a notice on the lift !)

Invite the landlord