Communal Gas Meter

Unicorn91

I live in an 2bed apartment in a big building complex. 
We where told we had no gas meter when we moved in so no photos were taken.

The heating of the hot water was included in the rent and written in the tenancy agreement. 

We then got told via a email we had to pay a fixed amount a month to the management company for the Gas. 

2 months later we get a letter & a typed out bill saying we need to stop paying the management company and pay a finance collecting company. The bill had kwh and a standing charge listed. 
We have had no details what so ever about all this or who the supplier is or what is going on at all. 

I contacted the distributor and they gave me the supplier of our building. 
I then asked the property management for a picture of the gas meter but they refused to give me this as said its a communal gas meter and on their account.
They also said the gas is supplied by a different supplier than the one I was told by the distributor. 

I have searched our property in findmysupplier and we are not listed. Only a few properties are listed with the supplier the distributor told me not the supplier the property management told me we are under. 

I don't really know where we stand with all of this? 

If it is a communal gas meter are the tariffs (standing charge etc) set by the supplier or do the PM charge us what they like? 

I can't speak to the supplier without a serial number of the gas meter for which the property won't give me! 

Any helpful tips on this would be appreciated. 

Mstty

Hello and welcome to the forum.

What do your neighbours say that have been there for a longer time than yourself? Sometimes historic knowledge is key to understanding.

EssexHebridean

Goodness - that sounds like a confusing setup - not surprised you're scratching your head a bit!

Do you own the property? If so, what did the TA6 say about the gas supply? 

Unicorn91

Mstty said:

Hello and welcome to the forum.

What do your neighbours say that have been there for a longer time than yourself? Sometimes historic knowledge is key to understanding.

Thanks. 

The building hasn't been open long. When we moved in there was letters from solicitors saying their was a massive debt on the gas and threatening to cut the supply. The company in question is no longer the supplier.  

Other residents are unsure what to do as majority of people living here are fairly new like ourselves. 

Unicorn91

EssexHebridean said:

Goodness - that sounds like a confusing setup - not surprised you're scratching your head a bit!

Do you own the property? If so, what did the TA6 say about the gas supply? 

Honestly it has been an absolute nightmare all this. 

No we don't own the property. 
We are currently renting through a letting agent. 

WhiskersTheWonderCat

So there's one gas meter for the entire building complex? How do they figure out the use for each individual flat? 

EssexHebridean

WhiskersTheWonderCat said:

So there's one gas meter for the entire building complex? How do they figure out the use for each individual flat? 

IIRC from others who've been in similar schemes it's usually either via submeters (which sounds like not the case here, unfortunately) or by some form of pre-agreed split based on the size of the individual properties. 

OP - can you speak with the letting agent and ask them to let you have, in writing, the exact agreement around the gas use - if they say they don't have it, then they will need to speak with the LL to get it I'd suggest. It's not reasonable for you to have a utility bill over which you have neither any control nor any real knowledge of how it works. 

I assume that the gas is definitely purely for the heating - the hot water component is still, so far as you know, included in the rent you are paying? 

Robin9

 @unicorn91   - do you have your own gas boiler for the central heating or is there a great big boiler in the basement ?

Unicorn91

WhiskersTheWonderCat said:

So there's one gas meter for the entire building complex? How do they figure out the use for each individual flat? 

Robin9 said:

 @unicorn91   - do you have your own gas boiler for the central heating or is there a great big boiler in the basement ?

The boilers and a communal gas meter are located in the basement but we are not allowed access to this at all. 

Gerry1

Building / District Heating schemes are like the Wild West with very little regulation.  Your gas is probably on an expensive commercial tariff over which you have no control or oversight.

Worst of all, if there's no heat metering then everyone will be tempted to have tropical CH and hot water so that they 'get their money's worth', thereby creating a vicious circle.

Thankfully you're a tenant so at least you have the option of moving.

Unicorn91

EssexHebridean said:

WhiskersTheWonderCat said:

So there's one gas meter for the entire building complex? How do they figure out the use for each individual flat? 

IIRC from others who've been in similar schemes it's usually either via submeters (which sounds like not the case here, unfortunately) or by some form of pre-agreed split based on the size of the individual properties. 

OP - can you speak with the letting agent and ask them to let you have, in writing, the exact agreement around the gas use - if they say they don't have it, then they will need to speak with the LL to get it I'd suggest. It's not reasonable for you to have a utility bill over which you have neither any control nor any real knowledge of how it works. 

I assume that the gas is definitely purely for the heating - the hot water component is still, so far as you know, included in the rent you are paying? 

Thank you for your reply. 

We have a heating/cooling meter that reads kwh attached to the pipes in our cupboard. This is what they took the first reading from on the bill.

No they removed the heating of the water from the tenancy agreement so the bill is now for hot water & heating. 

Yes I'm going to get in touch and ask for everything in writing thank you. 
The standing charge is 0.28p on the bill.