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

QrizB

Becknarf said:

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

You said in your first post that you have a deemed contract. When you take over a property that has a live gas or electricity connection, you are (in law) automatically "deemed" to be a customer of the supplier.

molerat

8(1)Where a gas supplier supplies gas to a consumer otherwise than in pursuance of a contract, the supplier shall be deemed to have contracted with the consumer for the supply of gas as from the time ( “the relevant time ”) when he began so to supply gas to the consumer.

(2)Where—

(a)the owner or occupier of any premises takes a supply of gas which has been conveyed to those premises by a [F2gas transporter] in pursuance of arrangements made with the transporter by a gas shipper, or by a person authorised to make the arrangements by an exemption granted under section 6A of this Act;

(b)that supply is not made by a gas supplier, or by a person authorised to make it by an exemption granted under section 6A of this Act or an exception contained in Schedule 2A to this Act; and

(c)a supply of gas so conveyed has been previously made by a gas supplier,

the owner or occupier shall be deemed to have contracted with the appropriate supplier for the supply of gas as from the time ( “the relevant time ”) when he began to take such a supply; but nothing in this sub-paragraph shall be taken to afford a defence in any criminal proceedings.

The argument is over the exact meaning of "takes a supply".  I believe OFGEM are of the opinion that you need to actually consume some energy to "take a supply".

Ectophile

You might be better off asking them to remove the meter.  But watch out as they may want you to pay for that.

The issue of whether or not you have to pay standing charges is a matter for debate, and depends on how you read the law.  OFGEM's opinion is that you shouldn't have to pay.  Nobody in this forum has ever produced any court rulings one way or the other, which would set a legal precedent.