Management Company Back Billing

everyweekchic

I haven't had a gas & electric utility bill for over 18 months and I'm used to have them quarterly. I have chased for them during this period. I asked the CAB for help and they said that I could only be back billed by 12 months however I just contacted them again and they said the opposite and that I have to pay for the full 18 months.

I've received a bill dating back to April 2023, the bill is from the apartment's management company who sent it to my landlord who passed it on to me. The management company have put the bill in my landlord's name.

In the tenancy agreement it reads "The tenants will not be required to change any of the services other than the Council Tax to their names. The Management Company will receive the bills for the water, gas and electricity and will forward the bills directly to the tenants to pay. The tenants will pay the Management Company for the bills rather than the suppliers. The suppliers will then be paid by the Management Company."

What am I liable to pay?

DullGreyGuy

Do you have your own meters etc with a main fuse or just some mini meter? 
What is the rate of VAT on the bill? 5% or 20%? 

Sounds like the building may have a commercial supply of utilities which is then being recharged by the management company to the individual units. If thats the case then the 12 month rule doesn't apply but the management company have to recharge at cost, they can't make a profit from it. 

Its similar to how caravan parks etc 

everyweekchic

I have my own meters and there is no VAT on the bill

Scot_39

You are liable to pay the management company exactly as billed as per the tenancy agreement.

Did you actually contact them - the management company - when you moved in to register that you were now expected to be paying bills ?

Just as you would normal direct suppliers.

The fact that the last bill went to your landlord suggests not - and they might not have been very happy receiving a demand for 18m plus.

Many such schemes are as above though tied to wholesale or business rates - not normal domestic home supply terms - ultimately in many cases not protected by Ofgem (and normal domestic cap rates you may read about in press)

But they - the management company or possibly the landlord - as he will have a direct lease agreement with the freeholder should between them be able explain the basis of those bills to you - if you ask.

Rates basis and admin fees built in etc.


And they can often bill as they like - monthly, 6 monthly, annually etc. 

But few businesses would want the negative cash flow longer customer billing cycles can impose.  so not paying anything for 18m seems very strange. 

As surely it must have to you before now.

Some block managed schemes use almost live day or week based business (wholesale tied) spot rates.
Some can apply estimated or fixed  (pseudo fixed) rates to current bills between price reviews - then allowed retrospective actual catch up bills to reflect actual costs that added to recover their true costs at annual (or longer) reviews.

Some even in social housing pay for hw and heat on such catch up schemes.

Some are even now paying far higher rates as their management companies are still recovering costs from last winters peak - when the unprotected Ofgem cap was near treble current - and spot business rates even higher still.


You need as above to enquire about the actual basis of your bills.

I hope you have been saving the money you weren't paying for utility bills in a holding account of some sort  - the demand isn't likely to be cheap given the 18m period and prevailing wholesale rates.

Your landlord may know more - but may never have paid the bills for any significant period if avoided so called void periods between tennants. It should be in his lease agreement ( or at least the arrangement at the time - it can be changed by freeholders etc)