Scottish Power mysterious meter

Eminster

Hi, we are in a surreal situation

• We bought a semi detached house over a year ago which was part of a much larger estate but we couldn't locate the meter
• Previous owner sent the change of tenancy of this mysterious meter, we refused to sign because we didn't know the location and we found out it was on a Business contract with Scottish Power
• We found the meter over 123 meters away in a locked cupboard
• A commercial electrician and UKPN visited the property and they stated that meter was too big (400kva) and too far    
• Scottish Power always refused to come around (we sent them at least 40 emails), either to locate a substation or to install a submeter inside our property
• Scottish Power always refused to open a complaint because we didn't want to sign
• After 10 months Scottish Power transfer the ownership of that meter to us without our consent (can they do ?) and even if we are not a business and billed us for £12k 
• Our main concern is that lot of people is using that big meter, we want to pay but only for us
• PV companies can install solar because the meter and the supply must be on our property

Any advice would be much appreciated Thanks

molerat

So you are saying there is one commercial meter supplying all of the properties and you, or anyone else, do not have separate meters in their premises ?

I assume there is a manager for the estate ?

What is the history of this estate - former MOD or other organisation ?

What does your lease / deeds say about what they are responsible for ?

This is something that should have come up in the conveyancing process.

This is going to be a nightmare to untangle.

Eminster

Hi Molerat, thanks for your answer, it's a very messy situation sorry I used the wrong word, 
Previously the large dwelling was owned by one person then it was split split in few separate houses and a double garage, the houses are freehold.
On the conveyancing process they said we had a meter, after the completion they send a change of tenancy form to our solicitor with our details on it 
We located that meter just because one neighbour used to do the readings on behalf of the previous owner
There are 4 submeters closer to the houses but they don't have MPAN
The previous owner as far I know used to charge any tenant 
Now there are not tenants but separated landlords and obviusvely I don't want to take charge of that meter and chase the other owners
Secondly I don't want to be responsible of a commercial meter with crazy rates because I'm not a business
I don't get why Scottish Power can open an account on my name without my authorisation and without verifying I'm paying the correct amount   
  

Eminster

I believe that to move the meter would cost me at least £10k considering the distance (123 meters)
I don't know if 

1. Contact CAB
2. Complain up to the Ofgem
3. Get a lawyer involved 

molerat

It looks then like the meter was registered to your address so you have inherited it and are responsible for the bills.  You will need to bill the other tenants for their use.  You need to carefully read your deeds to see if anything about this arrangement is contained in there.  Going forward you will need to arrange for separate supplies to be provided for each premises at your and the other owner's cost which is likely to be many £K, the same as any other property developer / builder would have to do and something that should have been done when the properties were sold off but it was obviously cheaper for the previous owner not to bother with.  SP need only supply and charge in line with the current arrangements.

Ectophile

It sounds like you've been lumbered with a landlord's supply.

Under the Electricity Act, the moment you move into a property and "take a supply" of electricity, you are automatically a customer of the existing supplier.  So if you have ever even turned on a light, you're a customer.  It doesn't matter whether or not you've signed anything.

If it is a landlord's supply, then the sub-meters won't have MPANs.  The supplier won't know anything about them, and can't bill for them.  They can only bill for the overall supply, which does have an MPAN.

What's supposed to happen is that the landlord pays the bills for the big meter.  Then they read the sub-meters and bill each tenant for their share of the electricity.

The only way out that I can see will involve talking to your neighbours and a legal expert.

debitcardmayhem

My first port of call would be your solicitor for the sale, but that is my opinion.

Robin9

We are assuming that this a Low Voltage 416/240,v supply, 

Also possible that it's an 11000 volt supply ,- in which case the ,OP would own the transformer,

Eminster

Thanks everyone
Looks like I have to talk to my solicitor and the neighbour

One of my concern is to establish which properties are supplied by that meter so far away from us

UK Power Network and a commercial electrician excluded that meter belongs to us 

Eminster

Ectophile said:

It sounds like you've been lumbered with a landlord's supply.

Under the Electricity Act, the moment you move into a property and "take a supply" of electricity, you are automatically a customer of the existing supplier.  So if you have ever even turned on a light, you're a customer.  It doesn't matter whether or not you've signed anything.

If it is a landlord's supply, then the sub-meters won't have MPANs.  The supplier won't know anything about them, and can't bill for them.  They can only bill for the overall supply, which does have an MPAN.

What's supposed to happen is that the landlord pays the bills for the big meter.  Then they read the sub-meters and bill each tenant for their share of the electricity.

The only way out that I can see will involve talking to your neighbours and a legal expert.

It makes sense and probably on the past was like you said but now we are all freehold landlords (no tenants), therefore from my prospect every landlord should be hold responsible and so far none could established which properties are supplied by that meter 

Eminster

This one supposed to be my supply


And this is what I’ve in my house