Have a prepaid meter, but no gas appliances? Confused about standing charge

Becknarf

Hey,

So I have a prepayment meter but zero gas appliances in my flat. I've lived here 10 odd years now, and there's never been a gas appliance in this flat. The previous owner made everything electric. 

Anyway, EDF keep hassling me (been going on years) to change the meter, but I can never be arsed with it as it's never in use. I never signed a contract with them, not entirely sure how they got my name even. 

Anyway, I tell the person on the phone each time that I don't use gas, have no gas appliances, and can't be bothered to have someone replace a meter I don't use for anything. Its reading is the same as it was when I moved in 10 years ago. Waste of everyones time. 

Usually, the person on the phone just says okay and promises not to phone me again (a lie)..

Anyway, this time the woman on the phone says 'You know you still have to pay standing charge if you have a prepayment meter you're not using..'

Well I did not know that, and I am just wondering if it's true? 

I have never had a letter from EDF asking me for money for the standing charge, the meter reads £5 in credit from what I can tell. From what I can tell I am on a 'deemed contract' whatever that is. 

Just trying to figure out if I actually owe probably over a grand at this point, or not. 

EDF haven't asked me for money, I am just trying to get ahead of this. The woman might have flagged my account after that conversation so it'd be good to know my rights. 

Seems dumb to me that I have to pay for a supply that I've never even taken a whiff of gas from. 

I tried googling, but seems this is a kinda rare situation? All results seemed to be around people having their gas cut off for no payment, and stuff like that. 

QrizB

Becknarf said:

The previous owner made everything electric.

That's unfortunate but what's done is done. How is your flat heated?

Becknarf said:

Anyway, this time the woman on the phone says 'You know you still have to pay standing charge if you have a prepayment meter you're not using..'
Well I did not know that, and I am just wondering if it's true?

Yes, it's true.

Do you own the flat, or rent? If you own, and don't want to refit gas heating, the best option might be to have the gas supply removed.

If you rent, you won't be able to do this without your landlord's permission.

Keep_pedalling

I am afraid this is correct, you had a deemed contract as soon as you took ownership. The only way to get rid of the SC is to get the meter removed and the supply capped. 

What sort of heating do you have and what are your electric bills like? Paying high electric charges when you have a gas supply will be costing you a lot more than the gas standing charges.

Becknarf

I'm aware gas is cheaper, and I have a wood burner and electric heating. But often I just don't heat most of my flat, and it doesn't cause that much of an issue tbh. This thread isn't about money saving on heating. 

I'm just wondering where I stand in regards to the standing charges. 

I don't want to pay over a grand of backcharges, so if there's some argument I can make to stop that, that'd be cool. 

If not, I guess I'll just start putting £30 into a savings account to pay the standing charge each month and hope they don't notice for another 10 years lol. 

MWT

Keep_pedalling said:

I am afraid this is correct, you had a deemed contract as soon as you took ownership. The only way to get rid of the SC is to get the meter removed and the supply capped. 

Not exactly true, you enter a deemed contract when you first consume energy...

So if there are no gas appliances in the flat the opening meter reading will still be unchanged and there is no obligation to pay a standing charge.

May have to send a meter reading from time to time to confirm there is no consumption, but that is all.

This is not the same position as having used gas in the past and then stopped using it, in that case you do still have to pay the standing charge as long as the meter remains connected...

QrizB

MWT said:

Keep_pedalling said:

I am afraid this is correct, you had a deemed contract as soon as you took ownership. The only way to get rid of the SC is to get the meter removed and the supply capped. 

Not exactly true, you enter a deemed contract when you first consume energy...

There's been some debate on this point on the forum. Opinions were strong and divided, is probably the best summary.

mongoose2009

is it a key meter prepay?

if so the key changes the tariff on the meter when you top it up

so if it was on a old legacy tariff with a zero standing charge the balance would stay the same as you have no useage

so first thing is go to the meter and scroll thru the tariff info and see if thats the case

if so it MAY be worth you taking the key stick a fiver on it and put it in so it updates itself to the current

tariff and you MAY get away with not paying the back standing charge

now if you dont have the key it may be worth getting a smart meter installed

if you do get a bill with back standing charge it may be worth arguing the toss with them and say your not liable

as it was ever used

QrizB

Becknarf said:

I'm just wondering where I stand in regards to the standing charges. 
I don't want to pay over a grand of backcharges, so if there's some argument I can make to stop that, that'd be cool.

Have the supply removed and you'll definitely stop accruing any liability. (You still haven't said if you own or rent?)

Becknarf

QrizB said:

Becknarf said:

I'm just wondering where I stand in regards to the standing charges. 
I don't want to pay over a grand of backcharges, so if there's some argument I can make to stop that, that'd be cool.

Have the supply removed and you'll definitely stop accruing any liability. (You still haven't said if you own or rent?)

Sorry, yes I do own the flat. 

mongoose2009 said:

is it a key meter prepay?

if so the key changes the tariff on the meter when you top it up

so if it was on a old legacy tariff with a zero standing charge the balance would stay the same as you have no useage

so first thing is go to the meter and scroll thru the tariff info and see if thats the case

if so it MAY be worth you taking the key stick a fiver on it and put it in so it updates itself to the current

tariff and you MAY get away with not paying the back standing charge

now if you dont have the key it may be worth getting a smart meter installed

if you do get a bill with back standing charge it may be worth arguing the toss with them and say your not liable

as it was ever used

There is a card in the meter, yes. I have never touched it, or put money on it. Surely I don't want to change the tariff, if it's on one with zero standing charge? That'd be ideal! But I created an EDF online account to check what's going on, and their deemed accounts are supposed to have a standing charge. There's bills going back years, with £500 estimates, but I've never been asked to pay them? It's all a bit confusing. It's a prepay meter, so no idea why there's bills in my account. It says deemed tariff though, I know that. 

I only signed up online the other day, to check my account and see what's up. I never had one before, and I don't think signing up to make an account entered me into any contract or anything. 

QrizB said:

MWT said:

Keep_pedalling said:

I am afraid this is correct, you had a deemed contract as soon as you took ownership. The only way to get rid of the SC is to get the meter removed and the supply capped. 

Not exactly true, you enter a deemed contract when you first consume energy...

There's been some debate on this point on the forum. Opinions were strong and divided, is probably the best summary.

This is interesting. I definitely haven't consumed a single bit of gas. There's nothing that can! 

MWT

QrizB said:

MWT said:

Keep_pedalling said:

I am afraid this is correct, you had a deemed contract as soon as you took ownership. The only way to get rid of the SC is to get the meter removed and the supply capped. 

Not exactly true, you enter a deemed contract when you first consume energy...

There's been some debate on this point on the forum. Opinions were strong and divided, is probably the best summary.

I'll take a look back and see what the basis was for a different interpretation, so no need to rehash it all here.

... but in this case it does seem the supplier has at various times followed that principle since there is no active account and as long as they can show zero use I'd have thought they have a strong case if it has to go further...

Becknarf said:

I never signed a contract with them, not entirely sure how they got my name even. 

This bit is critical though, there is never any need to sign a contract for energy so that isn't a determining factor.

What matters is if a gas account was opened at the time the OP first occupied the premises and signed up for energy...

If it was then the standing charge is payable...

Becknarf

MWT said:

Becknarf said:

I never signed a contract with them, not entirely sure how they got my name even. 

This bit is critical though, there is never any need to sign a contract for energy so that isn't a determining factor.

What matters is if a gas account was opened at the time the OP first occupied the premises and signed up for energy...

If it was then the standing charge is payable...

They have my phone number, name, and email address. So I guess at some point, I gave them to them. I think it might have been because when I first moved in, I was getting bills in someone elses name (person who lived here before) so I called up to tell them not to send them to me and it was nothing to do with me. Pretty sure that's how they got all my details. But I never opened an EDF account specifically. 

In fact, I have emails showing I switched to Scottish Power from EDF, for my electricity shortly after moving in. Presumably only swapped electricity, because I thought I didn't have gas. So they only switched the electricity in the property, and gas remained with EDF who were the supplier for the previous owner. 

I never signed up for EDF. I seemingly just became a customer automatically or something? I don't really know.