Utilita prepay - move in form

Ms_Fluff

Hi all,

Resorting to this as it seems Utilita don’t answer their phones.

Moving into a house next week that has Utilita prepay smart meters. I want to get in, swap to octopus and get off the prepay asap. The Utilita website has a form for moving into a property, but it takes up to 14 working days to be dealt with. What am I supposed to do for energy until then? I have no account numbers, no prepay cards, nothing.

Im buying the house and the tenant moved out a few months back, so I have no way to top up the meter in the meantime. Utility’s phone system seems designed to try to palm you off to unhelpful web forms and if you do get past all that, you just sit listening to hold music.

I’ve never had prepay meters before, so any help would be hugely appreciated!

Gerry1

The procedure is to sign up to Octopus and they will deal with Utilita.  Best to call Octopus now, explain the position, tell them to switch it remotely to a credit meter and give them the date when you will take possession. 

You should also insist that the vendor clears any debt before the completion date.

Ms_Fluff

Hi Gerry,

Tried that already unfortunately. Octopus said they can’t do anything til I get the keys on Tuesday (which is fair) and it’ll take 2 days to 2 weeks to switch, depending on whether Utilita have switched the meter from prepay correctly or not. So I’m still left with no way of topping up to tide me over.

Theres no debt, it was all cleared to zero and shut off the day the tenant moved out, so at least there’s that in my favour

Gerry1

Standing charges will have accrued so the meter may have cut the power or be about to do so.  Tell the vendor and the agent to ensure you're either given a card or that there's £50 credit on it (which you'll re-imburse); also emphasise the risk of burst pipes freezing.  If not, you'll delay completion !

OK, it's an empty threat but it makes the point.  When you move in, take photos of the reading(s) and check the balance.

Ms_Fluff

Ooh interesting. I didn’t think of standing charge. I was told when I last went to view the house (after the tenants moved out) that the electricity and gas had been shut off the day the tenants moved out, which is pretty risky IMO.

I’ll get onto the agents and say what you said. Thank you!!

wrf12345

They don't charge s/c's. just have very high rates for the first couple of kw per day to make up for it so should be ok

Ms_Fluff

Aah so no usage in a day, no SC? Ok, makes sense. In that case there should be no debt.

just need to figure out how I can get something loaded so I have utilities in my first few days. You’d think they’d make it easier to give them money 😂

Gerry1

Standing charge or not, with the weather being so cold there will almost certainly have been some consumption for frost protection.  Any friendly or emergency credit will soon be used up, it won't stretch indefinitely.

There can be serious consequences in failing to complete on time, but it could be a good bluff to concentrate the minds of the agents and the vendor.

Seems mighty odd that someone would switch off the utilities in winter.  Even if the pipes didn't burst there could well be damp and mould which wouldn't be a great welcome.

Ms_Fluff

That’s all maybes and possibles at the moment. Just need to know how I can get power on on Tuesday when I get the keys without having to wait 14 days.

witholding completion probably won’t work because I’m the only one really impacted (as in all my moving dates will have to be shifted) while the vendor is somewhere else in the country already comfy in their home and has no chain. 

Gerry1

Try a blunderbuss technique.

• Ring Octopus, escalate to a more knowledgeable person if necessary and ask them to initiate a switch to a credit meter extremely urgently on completion day or to apply pressure to Utilita to do so.  They will almost certainly have methods which are not available to the public.  Do you know whether the existing meter is key, card or online top up?  Online would be the quickest, if available.
• Use the form or email to chase Utilita.  Head it URGENT.
• Give the estate agent some grief.  They shouldn't have allowed the place to be left without heating at this time of year.  The agent could chase the vendor to get the meter switched to credit before Tuesday or to have emergency / friendly credit added now.

Ms_Fluff

Octopus won’t touch it, unless I wait 2 to 14 days. Which puts me in a marginally better situation than Utilita.

Utilita don’t have an email, already checked the usual places, they only have a press email. Have tried online chat, and have been waiting over an hour with no indication of where I am in the queue or if they’re even still open. I’ve even tried signing up to their forum but a mod has to approve new posters and it still hasn’t been approved. I’m assuming their business model is based on renters having to use them because the landlords signed up, and so they don’t have to worry about customer service to captive customers.

I've already messaged the agent and will give him a shout tomorrow. But I just don’t see how it’s this impossible. Like how can a house move swap take 14 days on a prepay 🙄