Agent responsibilities for turning off electrical equipment?

Hi Michael
Your information is unclear. Are you saying the electricity consumption was 30KW (I assume you mean KWh – kilowatt hours) per day whilst the property was empty but 9 before and 3.9 after whilst tenanted?
What appliances are there? Was an immersion heater left on during the 3 months? When in the year did this occur? Were electric heaters left on or an oven? Does the property have air-conditioning? Were the lights left on? Have you checked that someone (e.g. a neighbour) is not stealing electricity?
Have you questioned the agents?

Hi Michael

Whether or nor your managing agent is liable will depend on your agreement with them. It is unlikely to be specifically stated that they will check things are off, but a good agent would do that as a matter of course. There may be things left on, however, that cannot always be noticed (an immersion heater may be a good example if the switch is out of sight).

Was anyone checking the property whilst vacant? if so, could they have spotted what was causing the issue? As Ian says, do you know what was causing the issue?

From a liability point of view, unless this was actually flagged with your agent, or they agreed to check, you may have to chalk this up to experience.

Mike, on the plus side you wont get any frost damage or mould.

Thanks all. Dry apartment lol. I was led to believe that one radiator was left on to keep the apartment ticking over during the winter, Nov-Feb. By that admission even if the immersion was left on the bath would have to be running constantly. I await my agents answer. I will also request a copy of our agreement. Food for thought from you all. I’ve settled the bill with supplier as I deplore debt. So fingers crossed.

Reply to the comment left by Michael at 17/09/2019 – 20:44
That is an absolutely huge daily consumption of electricity and there is something seriously wrong here. I would want to establish just exactly what was left on. I would check the power consumption of the radiator myself. I think you need to get some hard facts directly rather than go through an agent.

I have my facts from The consumption rate via the supply company. Either the new tenant or agent spotted something as the consumption dropped considerably. I find I’d hard to believe it would be the radiator as this would have been highlighted before. I await agent comment and then speak to the tenant. Ombudsman after that I suppose !

My starting point way be photo graphic evidence of the metering readings for the out going and incoming tenants as its quite possible that the info have been provide verbally or written and digits have been transposed

Hi Carole, thank you for your comment. Another reading was taken at the midway point by the supply company. Readings are consistent throughout the unoccupied tenancy. KWh usage per day is consistent. I don’t think any numbers have been misread. It was my initial thought as there are a bank of meters. The meter ID has been ratified.