Do I pay eccentric tenant’s Gas Bill?
I bought a house in 2007 and let it to a single person, who has remained in place ever since. As the years have gone by they’ve become more and more eccentric to the point where their refusal to allow entry for a CP12 led to the disconnection of their gas.
The strange thing is now, out of the blue I’m getting an estimated gas bill from e-on sent to my home address.
Any clues as to how to proceed?
Are they entitled to do this?
Presumably, he was paying his own gas bills through his own account on the run-up to disconnection?
There’s no mention of any arrears just a ‘first prepayment gas statement – estimated’. The bill is small, but that’s not the issue.
How can I stop the rot?
Steven
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Member Since January 2020 - Comments: 93
12:37 PM, 19th January 2022, About 4 years ago
I would go back to E-on and confirm what the charge is for. If the meter has been removed then there should be no charge. If there is a meter present then a standing charge may apply.
Member Since October 2013 - Comments: 1647 - Articles: 3
12:37 PM, 19th January 2022, About 4 years ago
All utilities are the tenant’s responsibility unless you have agreed to pay. I recently managed to evict a tenant with 16 months arrears, and his utilities bills continue to arrive. They are his debts, and if necessary, I will explain to them.
Member Since January 2020 - Comments: 1103 - Articles: 1
12:54 PM, 19th January 2022, About 4 years ago
How did “their refusal to allow entry for a CP12” lead to the disconnection of their gas? Who was involved in the process?
Member Since May 2015 - Comments: 2204 - Articles: 2
1:24 PM, 19th January 2022, About 4 years ago
All the utility companies will try to get the bill paid from any source and the landlord is an easy target. It is not your bill do not pay it, when you reach an impasse with the utility company take the case to the ombudsman. I have done this on several occasions and always won and been awarded compensation.
Member Since February 2018 - Comments: 627
1:45 PM, 19th January 2022, About 4 years ago
Does the tenant actually communicate with you, their declining behaviour suggests there might be a more deeply seated problem than a gas bill.
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 308
3:24 PM, 19th January 2022, About 4 years ago
I had a tenant who used to run up gas bills until he got disconnected and then applied in a false name saying he was a new customer.
This came to light after I managed to get rid of him and when I spoke to British Gas they told me they never checked ID even for addresses with a history of non-payment.
Member Since January 2017 - Comments: 40
5:23 PM, 19th January 2022, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 19/01/2022 – 12:54
Letting agent.
Member Since January 2017 - Comments: 40
5:46 PM, 19th January 2022, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by moneymanager at 19/01/2022 – 13:45
Yes, they have more issues than you can shake a stick at. Everyone’s been involved, you name ’em they’ve been consulted, MP’s, council, social services, doctors, animal welfare, tenant’s family, guarantor…list is endless. Letting agent has a file as thick as a docker’s sandwich. I can do pretty much any maintenance or repair so long as its external.
Member Since January 2017 - Comments: 40
5:54 PM, 19th January 2022, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by David Price at 19/01/2022 – 13:24
You’ve been lucky. I was sent a bill by a debt collection agency supposedly for an unpaid bill with British Gas. The figure was way too high for standing charges and covered a void period in the tenancy. British gas had made ZERO attempt to contact me about it, & the first letter came from the agency. British Gas declined to clarify what the charge was supposedly for. Took it to the ombudsman who found in favour of British Gas/Debt Collection Agency.
Member Since July 2017 - Comments: 463
6:39 PM, 19th January 2022, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Joe Armstrong at 19/01/2022 – 17:54
So you just paid a bill which you did not know what it is for?? I presume you did read the gas meter when the last tenant left and again when the new tenant moved in? You realise of course that you are responsible for any gas used during void periods plus the daily standing charges. You could have worked out the maximum bill using the Gas company’s highest rate, usually their standard tariff. You probably know that each cubic metre of gas is just over 11 KWH so you could have worked out reasonably accurate what the bill should have been. Did you give these calculations to the Ombudsman?