New tenants, £666 electricity bill while property empty?

clarkey1984

Hi all, we collected the keys to our new rented property on may the 4th this year, it is important to note that we didn't actually move in until the 2nd week in June due to the property being fully unfurnished.

Today we have received a 'final' bill from British gas (despite us bever being with BG) saying that for the period of 4 may - 7 June, we have used...

973kWh day readings @ 31.979p per kWh

1465kWh night readings @ 21.093 per kWh

Plus standing charge of 41p a day and vat we allegedly owe a total of £666.37.

This simply cannot be right, nobody was even in the house during this period to use any power whatsoever aside from the standing charge, the heating and hot water was off (air source heat pump switched off at the main breaker) the only thing that would have ever been on was a couple of lights on the odd evening we were moving furniture into the late hours and ran out of daylight.

To my knowledge the only readings submitted were by the lady who did the viewing, which was one day before we received the keys.

I am at a loss with this, it just doesn't make any sense.

We got our post late today and so haven't contacted anyone to contest it, but I'm really puzzled as those sort of figures would be like running the entire cul de sac for a month, I don't understand.

Any ideas what could have happened here?

Many thanks in advance

jj_43

you would need to check the meter reading taken on the 4th May compared to the 7th, do they agree with your bill?
I am assuming that reads were taken at the start of your tenancy and you check these yourself. your default supplier would be the last use by the previous tenant, i.e. British Gas.

400ixl

Did you take a meter reading on the 4th May and on the ?

If so, how does it tally to the start reading on the bill? It could be that there was no reading taken when the previous tenants left or it was misread.

You say you have never been with BG, did you switch provider when you moved in?

clarkey1984

We did indeed switch to utility warehouse once we were in, so we always knew there'd be a month where we were essentially supplierless, the former tenant, who was actually a friend of ours tragically passed away in January and we ended up getting offered the property, so I'm wondering if there's been some overlap there, but the date to and from doesn't reflect that, and no I've not taken any readings for them to arrive at this total, the only ones taken were by the council lady when we got our keys in early may.

QrizB

clarkey1984 said:

We did indeed switch to utility warehouse once we were in, so we always knew there'd be a month where we were essentially supplierless

You are never supplierless. When you took possession of the property on the 4th of May you entered into a deemed contract with whichever supplier the previous tenant had (presumably BG). You will have been on contract with BG until UW took over.

... the former tenant, who was actually a friend of ours tragically passed away in January and we ended up getting offered the property, so I'm wondering if there's been some overlap there

When the former tenancy ended, there should have been readings taken, their account closed, and a new deemed account opened in the name of the landlord (the council / HA?). When you moved in, the landlord's account will have been closed and a new one created for you.

... and no I've not taken any readings for them to arrive at this total, the only ones taken were by the council lady when we got our keys in early may.

Sadly, that was your mistake - you should always get a set of meter readings (both electric, gas, water) when you take possession of a property. Are you able to contact the council lady and find out what her records show for the readings on the 4th of May? You can then compare those to the opening readings on the BG bill.

We did indeed switch to utility warehouse once we were in

What readings did you give to UW when you switched? Are thoise same as the readings BG have used to generate their bill?