UK Landlord Forum / Life

Had a tennant vacate a property
Property remained empty unoccupied for a period of three weeks
This is a two bed flat,all electric on a key metre
I received a bill of 500 pounds for electric that was used in the three week period..?
Nobody had access and all appliances were turned off
Any one had a similar experience

Is it a prepayment meter?

Quote from: Rpm on May 09, 2024, 02:46:05 PMI received a bill of 500 pounds for electric that was used in the three week period

What were the actual meter readings at the start and the end of the three week period?

What were the meter readings on the bill that the energy company sent you?

Have you corrected the energy company's meter readings?

I mean... let's be frank... from what you've written it doesn't sound like you did anything at all when the Tenant left. Most of us would take a meter reading, and would have shared it, while we're doing the Check-Out. Even if there was nothing as formal as a Check-Out, you should have done the meter readings.

It comes across as though you did none of that. Maybe you did.

You aren't liable for someone else's usage of utilities... but you need to be prepared to show them you weren't liable. Some of the companies will want sight of the tenancy agreement that explicitly says the Tenant is liable... otherwise they'll try to assume it was "bills included"... for obvious reasons. They'd love a forwarding address too.

You are of course still liable for the Standing Charges, but as others have pointed out what do the reads say.

Have you asked the Tenant for the reads they took?

Have you looked at the meter to determine if anything is moving

Is there a separate meter for economy 7 or 10

Some very nice Tenants turn on an immersion heater for hot water when they leave or take a read the night before and then turn the storage heater manual override on max, but this would only work on credit meter. 

There is a chance that the Storage heaters (if they exist) have a fault on the switch that sets them to day or night, but again this would only apply to a credit meter.

There is a possibility of fraud and tampering with the meter, in which case it needs to be reported to the Police and a crime number obtained.

First thing to determine is evidence of the reads when the Tenant left.  If they had nothing to hide then a friendly message asking for a photo of the reads when they left should be fine.

If it is a key meter then in theory it can only use the energy that has been paid for.

However, there could be debt on the meter that the energy company has not split out properly.

They should have created a new account when you informed them the Tenant had left and the existing account would remain in the former Tenants name.

If there is an issue with the meter or historical issues prior to the key being put in, then the energy company must comply with OFGEM back billing rules.

32p a day standing charge for 21 days does not add up to £500 and if there was no credit on the prepayment key then it begs the question "what is the basis for the £500?".  These meters cut the energy and the consumer must explicitly ask for a £5 emergency credit. They have limits and would not make 100 such credits.

You need to query the basis for the charge, then dispute it, come back on here with what they say, then you ask them for their final position on the matter (the deadlock letter) or if they refuse you have to wait 8 weeks from the initial complaint, then you raise the matter with the ombudsman.

It costs the energy company £450 for an ombudsman claim so they will likely seek to avoid that.

Personally I can't see how a prepayment meter can run up debt and if they are alleging something from before 12 months ago then they can't charge that now.
 

Quote from: Rpm on May 09, 2024, 02:46:05 PMHad a tennant vacate a property
Property remained empty unoccupied for a period of three weeks
This is a two bed flat,all electric on a key metre
I received a bill of 500 pounds for electric that was used in the three week period..?
Nobody had access and all appliances were turned off
Any one had a similar experience