SSE Tactics

Savethelandlord

I am a landlord with a small portfolio of properties bought and held through a limited company. When we acquire a property or a tenant moves out we move the utilities to British Gas so that we have everything under one utility company.

We had a property that a tenant moved out of unexpectedly and because we were focused on other things we forgot about the utilities. Nearly six months later we had a letter from a debt recovery firm on behalf of SSE for a significant amount for what transpired to be a few months utility charges whilst the property was unoccupied. It is a two bedroom terraced house and whilst unoccupied had accumulated £62 actual utility costs for the six months including VAT but the standing charge was £780 as they had changed the rate to commercial property.

We wrote to them to explain that it was residential but their response was that we are a limited company so they have the right to charge commercial rates. At the time of writing to them we paid the utility cost plus a rate circa what all the other suppliers standing charges were to show willing but they resolutely refused to reduce their bill. As a result we took the issue up with the onbudsman who ultimately agreed that 1, we hadn't been contacted until debt recovery were involved, 2, there is a loophole allowing them to use the sharp practice they had employed and 3, despite knowing our address they chose to address correspondence to the property denying us the opportunity to move the account and as a result we were awarded a contribution to the cost. SSE are now contesting the decision.

I have checked with BG and two other mainstream providers and all say they would only charge residential rates. Only SSE use this deliberate tactic and it should be exposed.

Qyburn

How did the supply end up with SSE? As far as I can tell SSE only does business. Didn't their residential business pass to Ovo?

Savethelandlord

The tenant moved to them when he moved in

QrizB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82091643#Comment_82091643

The tenant moved to SSE, who only supply commercial properties? That's jolly weird.

Was the tenant a business?

Savethelandlord

The tenant was not a business and I have no idea how they ended up with SSE. I only know that we were billed by them from the day tenant moved out. The onbudsman was very clear that because of a loophole in regulation SSE were within their rights to move from resi to commercial rates as we were a limited company but that in most cases reason prevailed. They are working to improve regulation so that in future a resi is charged at resi rates irrespective of ownership.