Landlord stopping smart meter

Jackie1813

Hi, My daughter is with SSE/OVO who would like to install a smart meter and my daughter would also like one. Unfortunately the landlord has said she is  not allowed to let SSE install one, Can the landlord stop her ?

Gerry1

It's the landlord's property and tenants don't have a right to make alterations to it.

Jackie1813

The meter is not in the property it is in the grounds and SSE are insisting they have the right to change it . The tenancy agreement only states she cannot change supplier.

ariarnia

unless its a private sub meter the meter doesn't belong to the landlord. it belongs to the energy company. so thats the first thing to establish. its easy engouh. does your daughter have a direct contract with the supplier (does she pay her bills to them or does she pay the landlord who pays the bills). 

if the meter belongs to the energy company then they have a right to repair remove or change there property. the right the home owner or tenant has is to refuse them access to the property. and while she rents the property that right is the tenants not the landlords. 

and the 'no right to change supplier' thing has repeatedly been found unenforceable in court. the most a contact can require is that the tenant arranges the switch back to the old supplier at the end of tenancy. 

this might answer some of her questions 

https://nexusenergysolutions.co.uk/can-you-have-a-smart-meter-in-a-rented-property/

Olinda99

If the sse contract is in her name and she pays the bills then (unless specifically stated in the rental.contract) the landlord cannot stop her

https://sse.co.uk/smart-meters/get-smart-meter-if-renting

apw81

Jackie1813 said:

Can the landlord stop her?

Nope. Not the landlord’s place to dictate who with or how your daughter spends money. If she wants smart meters she can have them. Especially since they’re outside the property—I don’t get why the landlord would object (unless they’ve taken a shine to the old meter itself, find it attractive under certain moonlight). Of course, I suppose it’s possible the landlord thinks of smart meters in a certain way (like 5g mobile signal spreads Covid, that kind of thing) and doesn’t want them installed based on his own misunderstandings.

Even if the meter was inside the property, I don’t see how the landlord could prevent it, it’s not their home. Energy and billing belong to the household. The meters belong to the energy company.

SSE would eventually switch the meter when it reaches end-of-life regardless of what the landlord thinks or wants. The reverse scenario is your daughter doesn’t pay her bills and SSE force fit a pre-payment meter. The landlord may not like it, but it’s not his meter, business, account, or debt.

My tenancy agreement also mentioned not being permitted to change suppliers. This is going back years when switching could save money. I let them know I would change supplier if I wished to, since I’m paying the bill not them. They conceded without a fight. As it turns out, I haven’t changed suppliers. I don’t have smart meters yet, either. Having them fitted I regard as my choice and not something I would need to ask permission for. Apply the same logic for if the meter was faulty; it would be changed.

Jackie1813

Thank you so much for all your responses. The landlords property manager believes smart meters are a hazard and as he believes this, so does the landlord.
Thanks again.

BobT36

Jackie1813 said:

Thank you so much for all your responses. The landlords property manager believes smart meters are a hazard and as he believes this, so does the landlord.
Thanks again.

Well they're not living in the house tho lol, so it shouldn't matter to them. 
Short term 5-10 min exposure isn't going to do anything, people would be melting instantly on walk-in if it was that bad. 

Either way though tough, they can't dictate what she has by law. Careful how that's implemented in practice though, they do have S21s....

EssexHebridean

Jackie1813 said:

Thank you so much for all your responses. The landlords property manager believes smart meters are a hazard and as he believes this, so does the landlord.
Thanks again.

Bluntly, they’re wrong. Ultimately if OVO say the current meter requires changing there is little the LL can do about it. They can however, make life uncomfortable for your daughter so the situation might require careful handling.

macman

Jackie1813 said:

Thank you so much for all your responses. The landlords property manager believes smart meters are a hazard and as he believes this, so does the landlord.
Thanks again.

Do they also ban mobile phones and wi-fi from the vicinity then? This is so absurd that it's laughable. She should go ahead and let SSE install a smart meteri f she wishes to, and also inform her LL that the choice of supplier is hers, not his. It can be confidently struck out of the tenancy agreement as it's not enforceable,

MikeJXE

You need to consider getting the wrong side of your landlord and being kicked out, gently gently is the way to proceed