Standing charge for de energised property

Leechall

Ive been the owner of an abandoned property for approximately 9 months. We have not received a utility bill and a check online did not reveal the supplier. We discovered the supplier when a they enetered the property with a warrant and de-energised it. We have received a bill (based on estimates) of £68,000 for 9 months although the building has not been used as undergoing planning process and is derelict. They've yet (after 6 weeks) not produced an accurate bill on usage. However we are still being charged a standing charge daily as its out of contract amounting to £48 day (£17,520 year) on so called deemed rates. 

My questions are should I still be charged these deemed rates standing charges as the property has been de-energised by the utility company themselves so there is no power. What is the chances of appeal to the ombudsmen as £48 per day standing charge is ridiculous and cant be justified but it looks like they are insisting on this for the 9 months of ownership.

Nebulous2

I'm assuming this is a commercial property and not a residential one? Commercial contracts don't have the same safeguards that residential ones have and can have more onerous costs. 

You need to get proper advice on that, as this forum is more for consumer issues, though there may be people that can point you in the right direction. 

However, my understanding is that a commercial contract would cease on sale of the property. If you bought it 9 months ago the contract signed by the previous owner would not apply to you. 

Reed_Richards

The normal procedure is that you pay a standing charge if the property is capable of using the gas/electricity but not if the utility has been disconnected.  It seems odd that your supplier disconnected you without also reading the meter(s) but perhaps their right hand does not know what their left hand is doing.  I don't know if different rules apply to a derelict property.

Did you read the meter(s) at the time you took ownership?  It's possible that you may end up being charged for use by the previous owner. Is/was this a business property?  If you want to appeal to the ombudsman you must first make a formal complaint to the supplier.  You can subsequently appeal if you think the outcome of the complaint is wrong or if the complaint is not dealt with within the prescribed time.  

daveyjp

Having a meter means there is a potential for power to be demanded, so a supply has to be maintained to the property.

To stop standing charges the meter needs to be removed.

MWT

Nebulous2 said:

However, my understanding is that a commercial contract would cease on sale of the property. If you bought it 9 months ago the contract signed by the previous owner would not apply to you. 

With commercial contracts that isn't all that helpful though as it just leaves the new owner liable for the out of contract rates which are usually punitive...