Supplier still wont put gas in my name

bwolf99

Scot_39 said:

1) You need to be in a formal complaint situation that has not been resolved for 8 weeks or rejected (with a formal deadlock letter from supplier) - the real supplier not just the agents named supplier - but with the actual deemed contract supplier - in your case for gas supply at time of moving in - before going to the Ombudsman.

They are not a consumer champion - they are there to look at hard facts only - and those provided by both supplier and customer.

If they agree you owe the money under strict legal terms - you owe the money - and they are as likely to back the firm - as back you - especially after 9m or so - depending on who they blame for not resolving.

And I hate to say it - to me - 3+ months of waiting passively for a response - given the potential seriousness - might not sit well.

2)  So again - just to clarify

Were / and are - the landlord's gas bills that you have been returning from the same company ?

Did you use the database search link above ?

Who did the meter company name as your landlords gas supplier when asked to read gas meter but in landlords name ?

Do they all agree ?

PS When was that meter reading - because that visit would have been registered with supplier as a failure to read - and could itself set other balls in motion.

3)  Did you contact you landlord or agents informing them that those bills have been arriving and you still aren't able to take over supply as EDF? still refuse to do so ?  

Are you worried about doing so ?

4) Strictly speaking - I suspect any letters to your landlord should be forwarded to your landlord - not returned. 

As still the property owner - and responsible still for many services needed at that property - gas and electric safety certificates, buildings insurance, factors - oops - freeholder where relevant - bills / comms etc - even whilst occupied.

Most of those would normally go direct in many cases - but not always.

And as my original post - landlords frequently do take over utility contracts / payments between tenants

This is NOT the same as your legal duty to return mail sent to an unknown addressee.

And going via agents - well I have a low trust level with them - from past experiences in younger life.

5) What may well have started as a simple admin error - will be by now a decent outstanding gas bill.

You may be lucky if it was EDF and they decide to write off the past 9 months - due to their error - but I suspect that would be very lucky given circumstances. 

If EDF were the day 1 registered - your deemed contract supplier on moving in - for gas - and they have actually wrongly administered your request to take over the supply - I suspect you should first escalate as a formal complaint with them - if not done so already - by email and phone to register sent. But if you had - you should really have been in contact - by phone if not responding to emails etc - to check progress - especially so far in.

But you need to know that for sure. So please use the link above as well.

Are you still getting gas bills in landlords name - initially it may have provided conclusive evidence EDF were wrong not to accept you for gas as well as electric from day 1 as (and if*) requested.  And if not EDF - told you who you needed to / now need to contact. (*)Assuming your request was clear to register for both fuels. 

But note I am not suggesting you read any future bills yourself - as legally you cannot simply and deliberately open landlords post.

If it turns out your landlord - has been accidentally paying - with luck and goodwill you might be able to agree to pay cash plus say a token loss of interest - as you indicate you have the cash - and register from an agreed date - as a very informal solution (if LL agrees).

Arguably he should have checked but as you say the agents claimed to have notified the supplier on his behalf - but if their paperwork was wrong - that would also only have applied to electric.  I'll leave you to decide whether thats fair or you think landlord should chase agents instead. I tend to take the simplistic view - if used the gas - pay for it - and it's maybe better to keep a good landlord on side if can - in today's rental market. But as I say below - it may be worth taking some actual experienced advice on this and other issues.

Worst case - there are debts potentially accumulating in your landlords name and debt recovery mechanisms working away in the background. And that could have negative consequences for both landlord and you - depending on how it evolves / resolves - but time is definitely not on your side after 9 months plus to minimize those risks.

As I said above I can understand the frustration. But you need to take your contractual obligations as an adult seriously - and put such frustrations to the side - and just deal with things.

So between you - the true deemed contract supplier if or if not EDF for gas - and sadly after so long potentially your landlord - it needs to be resolved quickly - not simply ignored for even longer.

I would start by confirming supplier - independently for gas - and phoning as soon as possible - either way. 

I am no expert - but from a personal perspective, I can see things that just don't sit right - going on here - between EDF/you, potentially you/your landlord etc.

And it might be best to try and talk to someone with real experience - say at citizens advice or a tennants / energy support charity - on some of these issues.

Starting now - or early next week at latest - if need time to gather the history in a clear and factual - not emotive - summary.

Very helpful post, thank you very much.

I did take the first couple of bills in to the agents to forward, but they come every month now and dont see why I should keep on doing so, I doubt they forwarded them.

Scot_39

You seem worryingly set on continuing to act as if there are no potential negative consequences to your delays in resolving this issue for you personally.

And simply returning bills - is potentially really not helping your cause with your current landlord or deemed contract supplier.

I would strongly suggest given 9m+ you seek proper advice and then try to resolve  - as they advise.

Hopefully amicqbly - avoiding worst case for you personally.

As the potential negative consequences of not doing so are many.
On current tennancy, future tennancies, potential court public records and credit file markers of various levels of seriousness.

Qyburn

Scot_39 said:

 

But note I am not suggesting you read any future bills yourself - as legally you cannot simply and deliberately open landlords post.

Not strictly true, the actual wording is ..

"(3)A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him."

bwolf99

All good guys, they eventually put in my name, they want 3.5k but offered 250 off and I could pay the 3.5k over 5 years, we are at deadlock and going to see what the ombudsman thinks first

poppellerant

I have the money to pay when the bill eventually comes but I am guessing they would offer a payment plan.

bwolf99 said:

All good guys, they eventually put in my name, they want 3.5k but offered 250 off and I could pay the 3.5k over 5 years, we are at deadlock and going to see what the ombudsman thinks first

If you have the money, why are you wanting to drag out a payment plan over 5 years? Why not just pay it off and get on with the rest of your life knowing it's sorted.

ecraig

bwolf99 said:

All good guys, they eventually put in my name, they want 3.5k but offered 250 off and I could pay the 3.5k over 5 years, we are at deadlock and going to see what the ombudsman thinks first

Presumably they will report your 3.5k debt to your credit file too..?

ArbitraryRandom

ecraig said:

bwolf99 said:

All good guys, they eventually put in my name, they want 3.5k but offered 250 off and I could pay the 3.5k over 5 years, we are at deadlock and going to see what the ombudsman thinks first

Presumably they will report your 3.5k debt to your credit file too..?

You can have it agreed as part of the adjudication via the ombudsman that any debt/payment plan is not reported to the credit reference agencies as long as the terms of payment are kept. My more significant concern is that you can't switch suppliers while your account is in debt and these don't seem the best (whoever they are). 

OP: £3.5k seems an awful lot for 9 months though - Did you take your own reading when you moved in and does it line up with the reading now or is that bill based on an estimate and are the rates they're using correct in terms of the cap over last winter etc?