Overpayment by previous tenants
Hi,
I moved into a flat in the middle of September last year. I received an energy bill (addressed to "the occupier") dated from the 1st of October after I moved in, which showed that there was £20 credit on the account.
As I was changing energy provider I got in contact with them to resolve the bill. They are now trying to back date my bill to the middle of September when I moved in.
I feel that as I was "the occupier" at the time I received this bill and it was not addressed to someone else, I should only have to pay the bill from the 1st October to the 24th, when the account was closed. Who is in the right?
I moved into a flat in the middle of September last year. I received an energy bill (addressed to "the occupier") dated from the 1st of October after I moved in, which showed that there was £20 credit on the account.
As I was changing energy provider I got in contact with them to resolve the bill. They are now trying to back date my bill to the middle of September when I moved in.
I feel that as I was "the occupier" at the time I received this bill and it was not addressed to someone else, I should only have to pay the bill from the 1st October to the 24th, when the account was closed. Who is in the right?
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Comments
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Why would you not need to pay for what you have used since you moved into the property?0
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Well I thinking normally yes. But if the electricity has already been paid for- which the bill I received shows. Then why should the energy company get paid again?0
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Well I thinking normally yes. But if the electricity has already been paid for- which the bill I received shows. Then why should the energy company get paid again?
Really?
The former tenant would have received a refund of their credit. You owe from the day you moved in. The £20 credit wasn't to pay your bills0 -
Ok- this is what I'm interested in. Would the previous tenants have received a refund?
Because:
1. The energy supplier didn't have the correct meter readings, this has only been resolved this week, so how could the energy firm have correctly refunded them.
2. Why was the bill I received dated from the 1st of October showing this credit? - If it had been refunded to the previous tenants surely the date of the bill should have reflected this.
3. Why was the bill addressed to "the occupier", not to the previous tenant in name/or who ever had been paying the bills?
I can understand if the money was refunded to the previous occupier. But I've no reason to think that it has been at the moment. I don't understand why this bill was addressed to "the occupier" rather than who ever had been paying the bills? I also don't understand what would have happened in the reverse situation- if money was owed. In that case it would presumably fall on me "the occupier", if the bill is addressed as such, to prove that I should not be billed for that.0 -
This is how it works
When a new occupant moved into a property, they should immediately contact the Energy Supplier/s to tell them they have moved in, and give them the meter readings - The supplier then allocates them a new account number for that property.
The previous occupant should have advised the supplier/s on the day they moved out of the meter readings, the suppler then closes their account and produces a Final Bill, which can be in Debit or Credit - It seems that
the previous occupant did this, but did not advise of their forwarding address.
It may appear unfair that you have to use the existing supplier, but the alternative is that the Elec & Gas are cut off when someone moves out and the new occupant has to arrange re-connection - Which could take a couple of days or even more if it's in a Bank Holiday period0 -
I agree with the above- clearly the previous tenants didn't submit their final readings, or inform them of when they moved out.
So what happens now.
I've provided the energy supplier with the correct readings from when I moved in. Does the energy supplier now attempt to repay the previous tenants their overspend?
Or, if they fail to do this, does the energy supplier keep that overspend? Or does that overspend remain on the account?
Am I in my rights to ask for proof that the overspend has been returned to the previous tenants?0 -
The money belongs to the previous tenant. End Of. They paid the money in and the energy company will make fair efforts to return it. It will be retained as a dormant account in the name of the previous tenant as the person has 6 years (In England) in which to reclaim the money.
You have no say in that money nor can you ask the energy company to prove that it has been returned. It isn't your money.0 -
Thanks for your reply- that clears this up. The previous tenants have up to 6 years to claim the money. Thanks again for your replies in sorting this out.0
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Let's look at it this way. If the other tenants owed £20, I take it you would be willing to take on that debt!0
This discussion has been closed.
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