kerbut Posted August 11, 2018 Report Share Posted August 11, 2018 What is it with some tenants?, we have one leaving on Tuesday and a new one coming in on Wednesday. The outgoing tenant said she received an electricity bill yesterday from Spark energy for an underpayment of £800, (actual reading ,all previous estimated ) who are Spark Energy I asked ," oh they are my suppliers " to which I said in your tenancy agreement it states that the tenant must not change utility suppliers without our written permission and receipts from all utilities produced as termination of tenancy , I said the supplier there is SSE not Spark to which she said the letting agent had advised her to changed it but she hadn't realised until now she had done it, thick or what, how did Spark Energy get her bank details and signature for the standing order to take payments from her. She said she would need the return of her deposit to settle the £800 to Spark , I have told her I will be retaining £800 of her deposit until the account is back with SSE and the debt settled. She must think I came on the last boat . If she "had just realised " a month ago when she gave me her notice it would have given a bit of leeway to get things back to SSE , my new tenant will now have to be with Spark and then change to SSE . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grampa Posted August 11, 2018 Report Share Posted August 11, 2018 I bet if you ask the agent it will turn out the agent changed it as they have an arrangement with Spark and get commission. We have been offered this sort of arrangement. A tenant does have the right though to change to whatever supplier they want to regardless to what is in a tenancy agreement. For my own personal properties I couldnt care less who the tenant uses, its doesnt effect me and as long as the bill is put in the correct names on the required dates it is one less think to worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerbut Posted August 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2018 I looked at Spark website and saw that, as it was Fox and Son/ Connells = Sequence I would not be surprised Edit to add : I see your interest is now your VW camper, what happened to the Harley? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted August 11, 2018 Report Share Posted August 11, 2018 Why do you feel the need to stop your tenants changing electricity suppliers ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerbut Posted August 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2018 Because of the hassle when they leave when you phone the supplier you thought was the supplier to find they have changed and done have a clue who they are with so you spend another day trying to find out and if the account is fully paid. And then the new supplier won't speak to you as I don't know the ex-tenants account number, their mother's maiden name etc, so you don't know if the account is paid up or not. At least with all our properties, it is listed with SSE that I am the landlord and they will speak to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melboy Posted August 12, 2018 Report Share Posted August 12, 2018 12 hours ago, kerbut said: Because of the hassle when they leave when you phone the supplier you thought was the supplier to find they have changed and done have a clue who they are with so you spend another day trying to find out and if the account is fully paid. And then the new supplier won't speak to you as I don't know the ex-tenants account number, their mother's maiden name etc, so you don't know if the account is paid up or not. At least with all our properties, it is listed with SSE that I am the landlord and they will speak to me. Precisely. I don't mind tenants changing supplier but all I ask is that they inform me of that change for my records. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted August 12, 2018 Report Share Posted August 12, 2018 I guess i live a different landlord existence than others on this forum. I give tenants the freedom to choose, I've never had any sort of problem as a result. I ask tenants who their existing supplier is before they move out and deal with it accordingly. I'm not interested in who they use or whether they pay the bills.......it's got absolutely nothing to do with me. All that matters to me are final meter readings and making sure the account/supply is registered in either their name of mine. Simples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grampa Posted August 12, 2018 Report Share Posted August 12, 2018 19 hours ago, kerbut said: Because of the hassle when they leave when you phone the supplier you thought was the supplier to find they have changed and done have a clue who they are with so you spend another day trying to find out and if the account is fully paid. And then the new supplier won't speak to you as I don't know the ex-tenants account number, their mother's maiden name etc, so you don't know if the account is paid up or not. At least with all our properties, it is listed with SSE that I am the landlord and they will speak to me. Kerbut there are 2 tel no's (I will post them later) you can call which will tell you who the current suppliers are for gas and elecy . They will also give you the contact no of that supplier. But you can email the providers with the readings. The Harley is gathering dust in the garage and the camper has my attention at the moment. It holds more red wine than the bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerbut Posted August 12, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2018 If you would Grandpa that would be great although I do have one number, the trouble is most of the utilities use automated service and the first question is using the keypad on your phone enter the account number (yeah right, I don't have the account number ) so that's no good, so I try by internet , enter your account number and password , then most likely its whats your mothers dogs maiden name (but can't get that far ), so ah Spark have live chat so after being 28th in the queue to speak to Rhia in India she can't help either as I am not the account holder but if the account holder is with me and could answer the security questions and with her permission she could give me those details,( if she was with me Rhia I wouldn't be asking you) . The check out inventory is being carried out on Tuesday morning and the clerk will be taking a photo of the meter readings, then I will not do anything, I am fed up of wasting my life with contact with Spark. I would normally contact with new tenants details but I will let Spark find out for themselves as my new tenants want to be with SSE as they have been for the last 10 years before a job promotion South. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted August 12, 2018 Report Share Posted August 12, 2018 You seem to be making a very hard job of what is really quite a straightforward exercise. All you need to concern yourself with are the meter readings on the day the tenant moves out and getting the supply transferred into your name. Then on the day the new tenant moves in you take another set of meter readings and get the supply transferred into their name. Job done. I used to telephone the details over but now email them so there can be no excuse from any of the parties that they weren't informed. The whole exercise takes just a few minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerbut Posted August 12, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2018 With a normal company yes, but have you ever dealt with Spark energy ?, they make it impossible to contact unless you speak Punjabi or Sheak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted August 12, 2018 Report Share Posted August 12, 2018 56 minutes ago, kerbut said: With a normal company yes, but have you ever dealt with Spark energy ?, they make it impossible to contact unless you speak Punjabi or Sheak. Yes I have. Spark Energy used to be my own energy supplier a couple of years ago. I never had a problem, helped perhaps by the fact that I never telephoned them but always emailed....... www.sparkenergy.co.uk/contact-us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerbut Posted August 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 It all ended well, the new tenants wanted to be with SSE and not Spark, so they applied to SSE to go with them and should be with them in 3 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 Given the information supplied by forum members I fail to see how any outcome could have ended badly. I'm still at a loss to understand why you think this could have not ' ended well' . Perhaps you can enlighten me ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerbut Posted August 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 Wish I had not bothered to post the end result now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richlist Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 That helps tremendously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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